Hom Rith
Hom Rith (b. 1986, Kampot, Cambodia)
Rith was born in 1986 in Kampot Province and spent his childhood watching the Buddhist temple painters inside his local pagoda. His fascination with their craft inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. He has created a successful career with his watercolors, mainly by painting the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and selling to tourists in Siem Reap.
Rith joined Open Studio Cambodia as a collaborating artist in 2019 seeking mentorship in expanding the conceptual side of his work, a collaborative environment, and reaching a broader audience. Rith also specializes in custom commissioned portraits from family, travel or pet photographs in watercolor and acrylic, as well as large-scale custom wall murals.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021
"Hope on the Horizon," Open Studio Cambodia, FT Gallery, Factory, Phnom Penh
2019
Ongoing representation and exhibition, Open Studio Cambodia, Siem Reap, Cambodia
2019
“International Watercolor Exhibition,” International Watercolor Society, LyLy Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia
2018
“Art Will Save the World” LyLy Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia
2021
"Hope on the Horizon," Open Studio Cambodia, FT Gallery, Factory, Phnom Penh
2019
Ongoing representation and exhibition, Open Studio Cambodia, Siem Reap, Cambodia
2019
“International Watercolor Exhibition,” International Watercolor Society, LyLy Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia
2018
“Art Will Save the World” LyLy Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia
"Transformed" Series Statement
"The lotus represents the pagoda as it is Cambodia's holy flower. The cow is a representation of myself. I gave this series the name "Transformed" because the paintings I saw on the walls of the Buddhist temple during my childhood really inspired me to be an artist as I am today. They were the first paintings I saw in my life because I grew up in the remote Cambodian countryside. The Buddhist pagoda was the first place I was able to study art also. I stayed there and devoted myself to learning art. Because of that experience, I still continue to try to pursue my art career today."
"ផ្កាឈូកតំណាងឱ្យវត្ត ព្រោះវាជាផ្កាដ៏វិសុទ្ធរបស់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។ គោគឺជាតំណាងឱ្យខ្លួនខ្ញុំ,
ខ្ញុំបានដាក់ឈ្មោះស៊េរីនេះថា "ប្រែក្លាយ" ពីព្រោះគំនូរដែលខ្ញុំបានឃើញនៅលើជញ្ជាំងព្រះវិហារកាលពីកុមារភាពពិតជាបានបំផុសគំនិតខ្ញុំឱ្យក្លាយជាសិល្បករដូចសព្វថ្ងៃនេះ។ វាជាគំនូរដំបូងដែលខ្ញុំបានឃើញក្នុងជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំ ព្រោះខ្ញុំធំធាត់នៅជនបទដាច់ស្រយាលនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
វត្តព្រះពុទ្ធជាកន្លែងដំបូងដែលខ្ញុំអាចសិក្សាសិល្បៈផងដែរ, ខ្ញុំស្នាក់នៅទីនោះ ហើយលះបង់ខ្លួនឯងដើម្បីរៀន ដោយសារតែបទពិសោធន៍នោះ ខ្ញុំនៅតែបន្តព្យាយាមចាប់អាជីពសិល្បៈរហូតដល់សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ»។
"The lotus represents the pagoda as it is Cambodia's holy flower. The cow is a representation of myself. I gave this series the name "Transformed" because the paintings I saw on the walls of the Buddhist temple during my childhood really inspired me to be an artist as I am today. They were the first paintings I saw in my life because I grew up in the remote Cambodian countryside. The Buddhist pagoda was the first place I was able to study art also. I stayed there and devoted myself to learning art. Because of that experience, I still continue to try to pursue my art career today."
"ផ្កាឈូកតំណាងឱ្យវត្ត ព្រោះវាជាផ្កាដ៏វិសុទ្ធរបស់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។ គោគឺជាតំណាងឱ្យខ្លួនខ្ញុំ,
ខ្ញុំបានដាក់ឈ្មោះស៊េរីនេះថា "ប្រែក្លាយ" ពីព្រោះគំនូរដែលខ្ញុំបានឃើញនៅលើជញ្ជាំងព្រះវិហារកាលពីកុមារភាពពិតជាបានបំផុសគំនិតខ្ញុំឱ្យក្លាយជាសិល្បករដូចសព្វថ្ងៃនេះ។ វាជាគំនូរដំបូងដែលខ្ញុំបានឃើញក្នុងជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំ ព្រោះខ្ញុំធំធាត់នៅជនបទដាច់ស្រយាលនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
វត្តព្រះពុទ្ធជាកន្លែងដំបូងដែលខ្ញុំអាចសិក្សាសិល្បៈផងដែរ, ខ្ញុំស្នាក់នៅទីនោះ ហើយលះបង់ខ្លួនឯងដើម្បីរៀន ដោយសារតែបទពិសោធន៍នោះ ខ្ញុំនៅតែបន្តព្យាយាមចាប់អាជីពសិល្បៈរហូតដល់សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ»។

“This painting is about overcoming long-term stress and hopelessness. Lately, I haven’t been able to do much art, I am too preoccupied thinking back and forth. I wake up and say to myself, before I couldn’t paint or draw well but now I can, why do I sometimes feel like giving up? That’s why I painted it, to encourage myself to put more energy into my work and restart making art again.”
Commissions
Hom Rith is pleased to offer custom paintings in watercolor and acrylic from your family, pet, or favorite travel photo! Please email us to inquire about starting your unique painting from your own snapshots. Commission rates start at $250 USD for A4 size watercolor paintings.