Meychean Phuy

Overview

Meychean examines the provenance and transnational trajectories of Cambodian antiquities held in U.S. museum collections during the mid- to late 20th century. Her research investigates how looted Khmer artifacts entered American institutions during periods of conflict in Cambodia and how provenance research can support ethical restitution efforts. She is also interested in the study of Hindu and Buddhist goddesses in ancient Cambodia.

Meychean is a Fulbright scholar in the 2026 cohort. She holds a BA in Archaeology from Royal University of Fine Arts (2019), where she participated in both national and international archaeological excavations, and later earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art and an MA in History of Art and Archaeology from SOAS University of London (2022 and 2023, respectively). 

Prior to her study at Cornell, she gained research experience in restitution studies, including work on the project Circumambulating Objects: On Paradigms of Restitution of Southeast Asian Art at SOAS, where she developed a strong interest in provenance and restitution research. Her work, grounded in art historical methodologies, focuses on repatriated objects, archival records, and the illicit trade routes of Cambodian antiquities in the UK and the U.S. Following her internship, she returned to Cambodia and contributed to national cultural heritage restitution efforts.