Cambodia has a long history of matriarchy—a culture in which women are considered to be the more powerful and important gender. In fact, the first person to rule all of Cambodia, Queen Liu Ye, was a woman and because of her history and power, many Khmer (Cambodian) terms that reference status and power reference women. But this rich history of women in power is counterbalanced by a culture of “purity.” A facet of women’s value and significance in Cambodia is the belief that girls and women are like clean, white sheets of paper that must be kept pure. Families tend to be protective of their daughters, holding them back from education. These conflicting messages make moving through life as a Cambodian woman complex and challenging. Kampot-native Kouem Keosocheat left her hometown in 2014 for Phnom Penh to study art and become an artist, something that her neighbours in the province said a woman should not do. After her graduating from the Royal University of Fine Arts in 2018, she began to exhibit her work in various galleries. Her new show at Meta House is called “White”. Through intricate large formatted pencil drawing, the artist explores explores gender roles and gender equality in past and present Cambodia.