# Koke Lor: Erotic Khmer Art **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880 "2009-01-12T04:50:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/1 "2009-01-12T04:50:12Z")
Koke Lor is a Cambodian-American artist who has taken the traditional bare-breasted _apsaras_ that one sees carved into the temple ruins of, say, Angkor Wat and hundreds of other temples dotted around Cambodia, added a dash of color, a smile and a relaxed pose to turn out some rather erotic soft-core beauties. **I’d say this is NSFW,** so I shall disable the URL, but you can see them here: [www.khmerxpress.com/multimedia/Photos/PhotoAlbums/Reahu\_Koke\_Lor.htm](http://www.khmerxpress.com/multimedia/Photos/PhotoAlbums/Reahu_Koke_Lor.htm) He’s become controversial in Cambodia. Well geez, if the Khmer Rouge couldn’t destroy the place, I think it’ll survive Koke Lor. I find his stuff very beautiful indeed. I considered putting this in my [Cambodian Overview](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481980) thread, but I think Koke Lor deserves of his own. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/2 "2009-01-12T04:58:58Z")
It reminds me of something from Heavy Metal. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/3 "2009-01-12T05:00:18Z")
Looks like pretty much any other sort of Conan/Gor style fantasy art. If I wasn’t aware that it was supposed to be linked to all the erotic stuff on temples, I wouldn’t have guessed (especially when you start including white chicks in bath towels.) I think the guy just added the temple explanation on as a pretext. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/4 "2009-01-12T05:09:24Z")
_Apsara_ sort of translates as “angel.” (The Thai version of, say, the lady’s name Angela is Achara, a version of _apsara_.) You see a lot of them on carved temples in Cambodia, usually topless. Those old Khmers were a randy lot, I’ll clue ya. But that’s why you see a lot of the traditional Khmer _apsara_ costumes, or semi-costumes, in these works. It’s really pissed off a lot of Cambodians, but he’s starting to get a lot of publicity. Controversy sells, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/5 "2009-01-12T05:31:01Z")
Here we go. In the disabled link below, you can see one of Koke Lor’s _apsaras_ with three of the more traditional ones sculpted in the background: [reahu.net/component/option,com\_ice/Itemid,53/page,view/catid,3/imgid,175/PageNo,0/key,0/hit,1/mode,0/](http://reahu.net/component/option,com_ice/Itemid,53/page,view/catid,3/imgid,175/PageNo,0/key,0/hit,1/mode,0/) ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/6 "2009-01-12T05:43:39Z")
Are you sure that this is for real? I mean, Snopes has a whole [section](http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cokelore.asp) on the guy. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/7 "2009-01-12T05:45:39Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Are you sure that this is for real? I mean, Snopes has a whole [section](http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cokelore.asp) on the guy. Um, that’s probably a different “Koke Lor.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/8 "2009-01-12T06:13:07Z")
Yeurgh. The worst kind of cheesy Fantasy crap. And I kind of like cheesy Fantasy, sometimes. I’ve seen much better stuff than that around. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/9 "2009-01-12T06:43:22Z")
Yeah I’ll just note that artistically the guy is pretty meh. He seems to mostly be layering photographs together and photoshopping them. But the pictures are turning out sort of fuzzy and flat with different sections at different color levels or level of detail. I’d be more impressed if they were actual paintings or at least better photoshopped. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/10 "2009-01-12T09:09:48Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Yeah I’ll just note that artistically the guy is pretty meh. He seems to mostly be layering photographs together and photoshopping them. But the pictures are turning out sort of fuzzy and flat with different sections at different color levels or level of detail. > > I’d be more impressed if they were actual paintings or at least better photoshopped. Yeah, it’s pretty bad quality, and a cheesy subject matter to boot; [this one](http://www.khmerxpress.com/multimedia/Photos/PhotoAlbums/Reahu_Koke_Lor_files/Photos/Apsara2_edited2.jpg) looks like she’s missing a few partial limbs, and what the heck’s [this half-naked female ‘samurai’](http://www.khmerxpress.com/multimedia/Photos/PhotoAlbums/Reahu_Koke_Lor_files/Photos/lastsamurai_edited2.jpg) doing among those pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/11 "2009-01-12T09:22:30Z")
Yeah, well, I’m a sucker for scantily clad _apsaras_. (Although I’m not sure how the samurai snuck in.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/12 "2009-01-12T11:17:19Z")
Geez, I can tell this is a tough crowd to please. I’d better pull out the big guns and show these erotic temple carvings from the Kathmandu Valley **(also NSFW, and thus the link is disabled)**: > **[Erotic Temple Carvings of Kathmandu Valley by Brian McMorrow](https://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/erotictemples)** I have personal photos of these, but on regular film, not digital, and so not easy to upload. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/13 "2009-01-12T13:11:27Z")
Apsara is actually a sankrit term and they originated in India as far as I know. Similarly, you will often see [yakshis](http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/calcutta/cm10.html)–extremely buxom nature spirits (they also have a male version, and these are the people you generally see copulating on Indian temples)–which are, as I said, from India and often found on Hindu temples there. Yakshi statues are some of the most beautiful in India, in my opinion. Here is one of the most famous/beautiful ones: [http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/2002sem2/Art\_and\_Art\_History/265/SanchiYakshi2.jpg](http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/2002sem2/Art_and_Art_History/265/SanchiYakshi2.jpg) [http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jwetzel/India/slides/slides-jpg/BracketYakshi.jpg](http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jwetzel/India/slides/slides-jpg/BracketYakshi.jpg) Yeah, her face looks a little weird, but so would yours if you were over 2000 years old. I have to say, not too impressed with this guy. His pics may be in color, but in sexiness, none of them can compare with the simple grace and elegance of the above statues, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/14 "2009-01-12T13:15:35Z")
Yes, that is correct. Angor Wat and many other Khmer temples were Hindu. There is quite a lot of Sanskrit words in Cambodian and Thai, back from when this whole area was Hindu. Lots of Indian influnce around the region. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/15 "2009-01-12T18:28:12Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > … and what the heck’s [this half-naked female ‘samurai’](http://www.khmerxpress.com/multimedia/Photos/PhotoAlbums/Reahu_Koke_Lor_files/Photos/lastsamurai_edited2.jpg) doing among those pictures? With a porn star’s face PhotoShopped in, no less. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/16 "2009-01-12T18:51:47Z")
Pretty standard fantasy/half-naked chick illustrations; it’s been done better by dozens of other artists. It’s good work, but nothing to write home about. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/17 "2009-01-12T20:30:15Z")
Not as good as Frank Frazetta, but better than Boris Vallejo. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/18 "2009-01-12T20:45:50Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Not as good as Frank Frazetta, but better than Boris Vallejo. Bingo! Just one more Frazetta want-to-be. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/19 "2009-01-13T01:43:32Z")
Ugh. I’m sorry, these are terrible. I almost feel offended, the way he is taking ancient art and tarting it up to his tastes, except they’re just so terrible I can’t even bring myself to be truly offended. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880/20 "2009-01-13T02:05:18Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Geez, I can tell this is a tough crowd to please. Well it’s not like there’s a shortage of pics of naked people on the net. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koke-lor-erotic-khmer-art/480880.md?page=2)