PlatiGleam at Angkor Wat: Nelson Ferreira’s Stunning Torchlight Creations

The British-Portuguese artist Nelson Ferreira has reached another historic milestone in his career by painting in Angkor Wat, following an unprecedented residency at Borobudur, Indonesia. Known for his revolutionary PlatiGleam technique, Ferreira was the first artist ever to stage a documented official solo exhibition within Borobudur, the 1,200-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest Buddhist temple.

During August 2025, Ferreira created nocturnal paintings of Borobudur, Prambanan, and Sewu temples using PlatiGleam—a method that requires no pigment and remains invisible until illuminated by torchlight. This innovative approach transforms darkness into vision, creating an ethereal interplay between light, shadow, and architecture.

Artist Nelson Ferreira creating PlatiGleam paintings in Angkor Wat.

Following this landmark residency, Ferreira was appointed Cultural Ambassador by InJourney Destination, the team managing Borobudur, and subsequently sent to paint in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, under the Twin World Heritage Programme, supported by GIZ Cambodia, the German agency for sustainable cultural heritage.

The night-shift employees at Angkor Wat contemplating PlatiGleam paintings for the very first time.

At Angkor Wat—the world’s largest religious monument, covering 163 hectares—Nelson Ferreira created a new body of work over seven sunrises, again visible only by torchlight. Conceived during the September 2025 equinox, these works explore the temple’s cosmic symbolism, establishing a dialogue between PlatiGleam paintings and sacred architecture. In its 900-year history, the temple had never before hosted an artistic residency of this kind.

Remarkably, it was later observed that the paintings corresponded precisely to the measurements of the southern part of Angkor Wat’s West Gallery — situated across the water from the artist’s vantage point.

In addition to Angkor Wat, the Borobudur Museum has now dedicated a 9 x 6 metre gallery for a long-term display of Ferreira’s paintings, opening this month. The Angkor Wat paintings are now being exhibited in Yogyakarta, at the Jogja Gallery, from Oct. 24th to Nov. 2nd 2025, in collaboration with Lenny Weichert.

PlatiGleam paintings created in Angkor Wat, being shown at the Jogja Gallery.

Nelson Ferreira first unveiled his PlatiGleam technique in 2023 at Portugal’s Batalha Monastery in the exhibition Mist (Caligem), attracting over 127,000 visitors. One painting was acquired for the monastery’s permanent collection and has been experienced by more than a million visitors. Later, the artist expanded PlatiGleam to the temples of Nepal, exhibiting in Kathmandu Valley, Durbar Square, and at the Nepal Art Council.

Through PlatiGleam, Nelson Ferreira redefines the way audiences encounter UNESCO World Heritage sites, by transforming darkness into light, reconnecting cultural heritage with the cosmos, and inviting contemplation in previously unimaginable ways. #NelsonFerreira #PlatiGleam #AngkorWat #ArtOfLight #InvisibleArt #SacredTemples #NighttimeArt #CosmicArt #Cambodia #ArtAndArchitecture #SensoryJourney #TransformingDarkness