For Abstract Painter, the Art of the Mind

Ancient Khmer painting, by Chhim Sothy.

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 February 2010

For painter Chhim Sothy, standing in his Phnom Penh studio, the image of three deer trying to escape a forest under destruction is clear. For others, the mix of green, red and dark yellow makes less sense.

“At first glance, the painting depicts nothing, because abstract art requires more time to understand it,” said the 41-year-old abstract artist, who is currently displaying 22 of his latest paintings at the Reyum Gallery in Phnom Penh.

It has been a long road. Born in Kandal province, Chhim Sothy received his Bachelor of Arts, in painting, in 1995, after spending 10 years at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. After graduating, he worked for several non-governmental organizations, as a painting instructor, until moving over to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in 1998, where he is a deputy director in the department of craftsmen.

Along the way, he practiced painting and was noted for well-balanced traditional paintings. But in recent years, he has moved to abstract painting, a contemporary art form that eschews the traditional depiction of visible realty.

“It is of course hard to read the abstract ideas in the painting, but this kind of art enables people to learn so that they can understand our mind,” he said.

Abstract art, he now argues, can make Cambodia competitive with other countries. “We cannot use our traditional paintings to compete with others, as the paintings cannot be understood internationally, so we just preserve the traditional and use the modern art to compete.”

Chhim Sothy has won several prizes in painting competitions: an Asean Art Award in Singapore, in 2002, and 1st Prize for the best painter in 2003 and 2004 from the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

He has also displayed his paintings in galleries in Phnom Penh and the provinces of Battambang, Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk. His abstract paintings were also displayed in the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Laos, Vietnam, France and the US.

“The more difficult to understand the painting is, the better,” Chhim Sothy, said, citing the works by Vasily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso as examples. “Their paintings were unique; thus, they cost millions of dollars,” he said.

Abstract paintings also showcase freedom inherent in art, he said. “I can express my own feelings and use my imagination through this kind of abstract art.”

Cambodian artist brings works to RI (Indonesia)

Paiting by Chhim Sothy (Photo: Saklapel.org)

August 01, 2008
Claudia Seise, Contributor, Yogyakarta
The Jakarta Post (Indonesia)

One of Cambodia's few well-known artists, Chhim Sothy, will showcase his work in Yogyakarta for a month.

Sothy, whose works have been collected by several embassies and ministries in Cambodia and selected to be shown in the Beijing Biennale 2008 in China, will display his work at the Tembi House of Culture in Yogyakarta.

Cambodia, compared to Indonesia, cannot show off a young and exciting art scene. Exhibition openings are rare. And modern or contemporary Cambodian art is rare.

Few artists survive. With the help of NGOs and other foreign institutions, young Cambodian artists have started to experiment with traditional painting styles, usually depicting Angkor Wat, the Cambodian landscape of rice fields and palm trees or the famous classical Apsara dancers.

Expressionistic styles have found their way into traditional themes and abstract paintings can be viewed in a few galleries around the capital of Phnom Penh.

However, paintings are mostly found in small commercial galleries that sell artwork as a souvenir for a minimum price.

Within the last year, exhibitions, showing artwork away from handicraft and souvenirs, were launched and young Cambodian artists started showcasing their works.

Chhim Sothy, however, does not belong to this group of young artists.

He is one of the few artists that established their career after the Khmer Rouge. During the Khmer Rouge regime most artists and intellectuals were killed.

Sothy belongs to the generation that experienced the horror of the Khmer Rouge as small children.

Sothy paintings are full with Cambodia's colors of monk orange, flower beige and red. His themes are Cambodian culture and tradition. One can even find the Cambodian version of Rama and Sinta from the Ramayana epic in many of his paintings.

While Sothy preserves the refined motives and gestures of the Cambodian Apsara dancers and Ramayana characters, he is not shy to mix traditional styles, which are usually handed down by monks from Buddhist monasteries, with contemporary styles.

Sothy's style of painting is rare in Cambodia and it is probably for this reason why people stand in line to buy his artwork.

His exhibition at Tembi House of Culture in Yogyakarta belongs to an intercultural exchange project between Indonesia and Cambodia, initiated by Tembi House of Culture and Art Caf‚ Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

Before Sothy was invited to show his work in Indonesia, two young Indonesian artists -- Askanadi and Karina Putri Haryanto -- exhibited their works at the Art Caf‚ in Phnom Penh.

The project's aim is to strengthen cultural relations with the idea that Southeast Asian countries should not only look westwards but see their immediate neighbors as well.

For Sothy, it is his first exhibition and visit to the country.

He was chosen to participate in the project since he is probably one of Cambodia's most active artists. He never rests -- always painting, taking part in international competitions and ready to launch yet another exhibition.

During a recent visit at his studio in Phnom Penh, the amount of paintings and the creative chaos were overwhelming. The love to his tradition and culture make every one of his paintings special.

Chhim Sothy Solo exhibition Open Aug. 1 - Sept. 1, 2008 At Tembi House of Culture Yogyakarta Jl. Parangtritis km. 8, 4 Tembi, Timbulharjo, Sewon Bantul Yogyakarta