When international restoration efforts began to focus on Angkor in the late 20th century, there began to be a demand for skilled stone carvers to fill in damaged or missing sections. Chantiers-Écoles de Formation Professionelle (CEFP), a Cambodian government institution established with French funding in the temple town of Siem Reap, introduced training in stone carving to meet this need. Artisans d'Angkor, the organisation created out of this training programme, today employs most of these carvers, producing commissions to order and making souvenir items such as busts of Jayavarman, Buddha images, apsara dancers and small-scale bas-reliefs.

Traditional-style carving is the priority, but carvers are beginning to experiment with the form to produce more modern works. Domestic commissions also indicate the beginning of interest among Cambodians in reviving this heritage in modern-day wats. In May 2004, a 15-person team of carvers from Artisans d’Angkor completed a seven metre-high Buddha statue for Wat Samrong in Battambang, commissioned by Cambodian jeweller Hoeu Sarath.