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Raksmey Hong | Publication date 10 May 2022 | 21:22 ICT  An artist from Kampot, Hom Rith, has drawn on sources of inspiration from his childhood for his exhibition at Raffles Les Royal Hotel in Phnom Penh at the hotel’s Le Phnom 1929 restaurant where it is co-presented by Sra’Art Gallery and Open Studio Cambodia.
The ten paintings that are on display at the exhibition in Phnom Penh feature images of cows, lotus trees and lotus leaves, reflecting the artist’s Buddhist cultural background and the influence of some of the first artwork he encountered as a child painted on or carved into temple walls; but in combination with his own creativity as a painter who uses watercolours and acrylics. Rith says he uses the lotus as a symbol for pagodas, cows are symbolic of the self and depictions of light are meant to convey hope. “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 continue to pursue a career as an artist today,” Rith, 36, tells The Post. Most Khmer would understand why Rith uses the lotus to represent the pagoda, because it’s a holy flower to Cambodians. However, his reasons for using the cow to stand in for himself are more personal – what he is depicting are memories from his childhood when he would look after the family’s cows. While he was guarding the cows out in the field, Rith spent some of that time drawing and painting and he feels a close connection to the animals after spending so much time observing them.  វិចិត្រករ ហម រិទ្ធ បង្កើតស្នាដៃគំនូរបង្កប់អត្ថន័យពីខ្សែជីវិតដ៏កម្សត់ គំនូរ គឺជារូបភាព ក្បាច់រចនា ដែលកើតចេញពីការគូរ ជាសិល្បៈចេញពីគំនិតច្នៃប្រតិដ្ឋ និងការស្រមើស្រមៃរបស់អ្នកគូរ។ ក្នុងការបង្កើតគំនូរ ជាទូទៅវិចិត្រករតែងរិះរក និងបង្កើតនូវអ្វីដែលជាអត្តសញ្ញាណ ក៏ដូចជាផ្សារភ្ជាប់រឿងរ៉ាវទៅតាមបទពិសោធន៍ជីវិតជាក់ស្តែង។ ដោយឡែកពីវិចិត្រករដទៃ វិចិត្រករមួយរូបមានស្រុកកំណើតមកពីខេត្តកំពតបានបង្កើតសិល្បៈគំនូរមួយបែបប្រកបដោយភាពប្លែកភ្នែក ដោយគូរបញ្ចូលជាមួយរូបសត្វ និងផ្កាផ្សេងៗដូចជា ផ្កាឈូក ខ្យង និងសត្វគោជាដើម។ តាមការជំនួបផ្ទាល់ជាមួយក្រុមការងារ សូវរីន វិចិត្រកររូបនេះបង្ហើបថា គំនូរប្រតិដ្ឋយ៉ាងដូច្នេះគឺវាទាក់ទិននឹងដំណើរដើមទងនៃខ្សែជីវិតរបស់លោក ហើយលោកក៏បានបរិយាយក្បោះក្បាយដូចខាងក្រោម៖
លោក ហម រិទ្ធ មានវ័យ ៣៦ឆ្នាំ គឺជាវិចិត្រករឯករាជ្យ និងជាសិល្បករមានស្នាដៃលេចធ្លោមួយរូបនៅរយៈប៉ុន្មានឆ្នាំចុងក្រោយ។ ទម្រាំបានដូចសព្វថ្ងៃ លោកបានហែលឆ្លងឧបសគ្គ និងការពុះពារជាច្រើនតាំងតែពីវ័យក្មេង។ លោកបានរំឭកថា គ្រាធំធាត់ជាក្មេងស្រុកស្រែចម្ការ រាល់ពេលមានជាងគំនូរមកគូរនៅតាមវត្តអារាម លោកតែងតែឆ្លៀតទៅលបមើលជានិច្ច។ ហាក់មាននិស្ស័យនឹងសិល្បៈគំនូរ រាល់ពេលចេញពីរៀនទៅឃ្វាលគោ កុមារសម្បុរស្រអែមម្នាក់នេះតែងគូររូបលេងនៅលើ ដី និងគូរឆូតដើមឈើជាញឹកញយ។ ដោយមានចិត្តស្រឡាញ់គំនូរកាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើង កុមារា ហម រិទ្ធ បានសម្រេចចិត្តសុំអ្នកម្តាយទៅរៀនជំនាញគំនូរ តែផ្ទុយមកវិញអ្នកម្តាយមិនយល់ស្របនឹងការស្នើសុំនេះឡើយ ដោយហេតុយល់ថាអាជីពគំនូរមិនអាចឈោងចាប់អ្វីច្រើនក្រៅតែពីការងារគូរនៅតាមវត្តដូចដែលឃើញប៉ុណ្ណោះ។  Né en 1986 dans la province de Kampot, Hom Rith a passé son enfance à observer les peintres des temples bouddhistes à l'intérieur de la pagode locale. Sa fascination pour leur art l'a incité à poursuivre son rêve de devenir artiste. Il a créé une carrière réussie avec ses aquarelles, principalement en peignant les anciens temples d'Angkor Wat et en les vendant aux touristes à Siem Reap.
Rith a rejoint Open Studio Cambodia en tant qu'artiste collaborateur en 2019 à la recherche d'un mentorat pour développer le côté conceptuel de son travail, d'un environnement collaboratif et d'un public plus large. Rith se spécialise également dans les portraits personnalisés commandés à partir de photographies de famille, de voyage ou d'animaux de compagnie à l'aquarelle et à l'acrylique, ainsi que dans les peintures murales personnalisées à grande échelle. "Déclaration de la série "Transformed "Le lotus représente la pagode car c'est la fleur sacrée du Cambodge. La vache est une représentation de moi-même. J'ai donné à cette collection le nom de "Transformé" parce que les peintures que j'ai vues sur les murs du temple bouddhiste pendant mon enfance ont vraiment inspiré l'artiste que je suis aujourd'hui. Ce sont les premières peintures que j'ai vues de ma vie, car j'ai grandi dans la campagne cambodgienne reculée. La pagode a également été le premier endroit où j'ai pu étudier l'art. J'y suis resté et je me suis consacré à l'apprentissage de l'art. Grâce à cette expérience, je continue aujourd'hui à essayer de poursuivre ma carrière artistique."  កេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះជាវិចិត្រករនិងជាងចម្លាក់បែបសហសម័យរបស់សិល្បករ វ៉ាន់ ឆវ័ន្ត ត្រូវបានមជ្ឈដ្ឋានសារព័ត៌មានក្នុងស្រុកជាច្រើនចាប់ផ្តើមចាប់អារម្មណ៍តាមរយៈស្នាដៃសិល្បៈប្លែកៗដែលលោកបង្កើតឡើងត្រូវបានដាក់តាំងពិព័រណ៍ជាច្រើនលើកច្រើនសានាពេលកន្លងមកទាំងនៅរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ និងនៅក្រុងបាត់ដំបង។ វិចិត្រករវ័យ៤០ឆ្នាំ មានដើមកំណើតមកពីស្រុកឯកភ្នំ ខេត្តបាត់ដំបង រូបនេះ បានប្រាប់សូវរីនឲ្យដឹងថា មុនក្លាយខ្លួនជាសិល្បករមានកេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះដែលមហាជនចាប់ផ្តើមទទួលស្គាល់ដូចសព្វថ្ងៃលោកធ្លាប់ឆ្លងកាត់អតីតភាពជូរចត់កម្សត់វេទនាដោយសារកត្តាជីវភាពរហូតចាញ់ឧបាយកលមេខ្យល់បោកយកទៅលក់ជាកម្មករនេសាទសមុទ្រនៅប្រទេសជិតខាងអស់រយៈពេល២ឆ្នាំ៥ខែ។ ដោយសារគុណបុណ្យទឹកដោះម្តាយថ្លៃ លោកមានវាសនាបានរួចផុតពីជីវិតទាសភាពនេះ ហើយចាប់ផ្តើមជីវិតថ្មីជាសិស្សគំនូរនៃសាលាហ្វារពន្លឺសិល្បៈនៅក្រុងបាត់ដំបងចន្លោះឆ្នាំ២០០៥ដល់ឆ្នាំ២០១៣។ ប៉ុន្តែក៏ដើម្បីកសាងជីវភាព ក្រោយមក លោកក៏ធ្លាប់ចេញទៅធ្វើជាជាងចម្លាក់រហូតដល់ខេត្តរតនគិរីច្រើនឆ្នាំទម្រាំនឹកស្តាយជំនាញសិល្បៈដែលធ្លាប់រៀនកន្លងមកហើយវិលត្រឡប់មកធ្វើជាវិចិត្រករនៅស្រុកកំណើតវិញ។  Voice of America VOA: "Cambodian Artist Challenging Prejudices Against People with Disabilities"4/5/2022
The Cambodian artist Morn Chear is having something of a moment in the art world, with exhibits in his country's capital, Phnom Penh, and the U.S. cities of Seattle and Denver. On canvas and with block prints, he is challenging prejudices against people with disabilities. VOA's Scott Stearns has our story from Colorado, with VOA Khmer's Sokummono Khan and Socheata Hean in Cambodia.
Join Shanna Shelby, Denver Arts & Venues, and Open Studio Cambodia founder Lauren Iida for a virtual discussion about Open Studio Cambodia and the artwork featured in "Tomorrow is a New Day: The Artwork of Lauren Iida and Morn Chear" on display at McNichols Civic Center Building Jan. 20-May 1, 2022.
Lauren will touch on her artistic practice, including social practice art, mentoring emerging Cambodian artists, and her public art career. The event will also include a short video by Morn Chear. This event is free and open to the public, but people must register in order to get a link and instructions to join the discussion. About the exhibition: “Tomorrow is a new day” is a popular Cambodian proverb with a message of optimistic perseverance through times of adversity. The artwork in this exhibition features deeply personal work from Open Studio Cambodia block print artist, Morn Chear, and Open Studio Cambodia founder, Lauren Iida, Japanese American papercut artist. Each has used art as a powerful tool to heal, grow and express their valuable and unique points of view. Morn Chear uses art to create a new life for himself, stand on his own two feet, and challenge the stigma of physical disability. Iida uses art to investigate and heal from the generational trauma of her Japanese American ancestors. Both artists hope to touch the viewer and offer new perspectives on these often overlooked topics to create a sense of awareness and deeper understanding. Open Studio Cambodia is an artist collective based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. Comprised of six contemporary Cambodian artists and its founder, paper cutaway artist and public artist, Lauren Iida (Seattle), Open Studio Cambodia provides mentoring, marketing, art supplies, and domestic and international exhibition opportunities to its members, and collaborates with a network of artists and arts organizations to promote the rising contemporary art scene in Cambodia and beyond. Maggie Donahue January 21, 2022 The art reflects on challenges like physical disability and intergenerational trauma through the lens of a popular Cambodian expression of optimism.  "Metamorphosis: Red" by Morn Chear on display in the show "Tomorrow is a New Day" at the McNichols Building in Civic Center. Jan. 19, 2022. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite In the center of the city, a new art show aims to project a message of optimism in difficult times.
Curated by Shanna Shelby, a Program Administrator for Denver Arts & Venues, Tomorrow is a New Day is one of the latest art exhibitions at the McNichols Center in Civic Center, a City-operated arts and culture hub. The gallery features block printed works by Cambodian artist Morn Chear and paper cut art by Seattle-based artist Lauren Iida, all displayed around the museum’s lofty third floor exhibit space. The exhibit’s theme comes from a popular Cambodian proverb: “Tomorrow is a new day” — a message of perseverance in the face of adversity, and optimism for the future. For both Morn and Iida, art has been a way to heal and grow. Art represents a chance for a better life after a tragic accident for Morn, and a tool for challenging the stigma of disability. Iida’s work is an investigation of the lives of her ancestors who were incarcerated in the Japanese internment camps during WWII, and a process of healing from intergenerational trauma. |
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