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Oeur Sokuntevy

Early life

Oeur Sokuntevy born in 1983, is a berlin-based artist from Cambodia. Brought up in the country region of Battambang where took up studies in Phare Ponleu Selpak art school, she learnt how to paint using oil and water colour as well as refining her pencil skills. In December 2007, she met Dana Langlois, a fellow artist who owned the java café and gallery who also let Oeur have her first show which she earned money from. In February 2008, she moved to Phnom Penh to become a professional artist. Her parents were not supportive of her career choice at the beginning with Sokuntevy saying in an interview that they threw all her art away, and instead wanted her to be a woman adhering to the traditional norms in Cambodia and therefore lived with her aunt. Later in 2015, Sokuntevy moved to Berlin with her husband to learn about the art there and meet other artists as well as to show people Cambodian living and culture through her painting.

Art

Sokuntevy's art follows the surrealism movement. Although her art takes a modern approach, some elements of appreciation of traditional Cambodian art can be found in her work such as her use of bold shapes and color. At first however while she lived in Battambang, although the medium she used, coffee with paper, was unique, the ideas she depicted were traditional. When she moved to Phnom Penh in 2007, her experiences with people, learning a different language, and travelling led her to morph her style into a surrealism approach. Sokuntevy's art depicts things and situations found in everyday life and according to her, "what is happening here" such as families, women and the limitations faced by them in Cambodia, life in Cambodia, and Khmer values with a satirical take. Tevy's used medium nowadays are paint however she has experimented with different mediums such as sculptural works made from rattan, bamboo, coffee, paint and homemade paper in her second solo exhibition in 2007.

Themes in Sokuntevy's art

Throughout all her painting and exhibitions, Sokuntevy expresses a theme. In her exhibition Ping vey, the theme Tevy's understanding of the "Cambodia of today". Lost together is an art work from the exhibition titled Ping Vey. The painting depicts a man and a woman in the form of pigs which is a reference to Sokuntevy's Zodiac sign. They are standing on a balcony and looking into the distance, portraying a married couple having some quality time together. According to Calvin Yang, writer at the Phnom Penh Post, a closer look at the facial expressions of this couple reveals a grim expression that might, in his opinion portray the loathing an bitterness in the marriage. A string attached from the husband's snout to the wife's snout depicts an attachment which Sokuntevy explains as "When there is marriage, there is a connection between both parties" and "five to ten years later, the connection is still there but they lose the feelings they had for each other." According to Sokuntevy, this painting refelects what Tevy sees as having different view on marriage then her parents. In another exhibition titled "free and easy" Sokuntevy uses the theme of Cambodia's views on homosexuality. Her paintings show a a variety of homosexual love from the tender to the graphic with Sokuntevy stating that "In Cambodia no one knows about men with men, they think its dirty" and further explaining her views " I was shocked when I first saw them too, but I don't think they're wrong, they can love each other too." In 2012, Sokuntevy creates an exhibition titled Fantasies and in this exhibition the theme is the life of women in Cambodia juggling their desires, obligations whilst facing never ending demands from society. "I feel the situation between the men and women is a bit unfair: women have to work, cook, and take care of the children; and men sometimes have it easier" explains Sokuntevy as to why the theme was prevalent in this exhibition. Notable painting from this exhibition include "Never Enough" and "Fantasy". In "Never Enough" a woman is depicted in a Cambodian traditional dress making flavored shaved Ice whilst several open hands face her expecting to be fed. In "Fantasy," a poor woman inhabiting a wooden house in the rural areas is dreaming of wearing provocative lingerie.

Exhibitions and paintings

2007

Sokuntevy's first exhibition was at the java café in Phon Penh titled Ancient Spirits. On paper soaked in coffee, Oeur tries to "repair the past" by using torn pieces from old temple paintings and using glue to stick them together. Magical diagrams as well as texts with flowers, straw and other natural materials. The exhibition looks at the past while considering the future.

2010

In 2010, at the institute Francaise, Sokuntevy displays her second exhibition called Love to Death. In this exhibition, Oeur challenges social norms in relation to love from the perspective of women. This exhibition showcases the different levels of desire, love and hate whilst giving the women and emboldening stance which contradicts the expectations of Asian culture.

2011

A year later in 2011, another exhibition this time titled Love, Death, and Dream at utterly art, the main medium used is acrylic on paper. In this exhibition, superstitions and traditions of Cambodia are explored through her subconscious. Furthermore, animals are constantly used which represent Cambodia's deep relation with nature, belief in the reincarnation, and the zodiac sign.

2012

Sokuntevy returns to Java gallery with a new exhibition named Ping Vey in 2012. The main character in this series is a pig (a reference to the zodiac signs) and the main representation is a psychological terrain. The fluctuations experienced by the character are emotional ones such as dreams, fears, and longing and are represented in scenes through symbolism and references. Sokuntevy gives an explanation for the exploration of the psychological terrain as "a shift that is not restricted by gender and can resonate with many stages in life. The same year, Oeur creates a second exhibition titled fantasies. Through heavy surrealism, a women's psyche is explored through the painting. The exhibition is a culmination of the fears, desire and wishes of females as well as a personal narrative that extends to a wider one. In this exhibition paintings include a woman offering her husband for sale, a woman enhancing her lips and breasts, and a woman caught in the nightmare of raising a sick child. Through this exhibition there is an exploration of the intersection of desire and obligation, a conflict and a burden.

2013

The exhibition in 2013 is called feeding Cambodia at utterly art, Singapore. This exhibition takes place during the newly industrialized Cambodia which is also facing the fastest population and economic growth rate in Asia. The exhibition focuses on the current state of the people and what they view as important, their desires, and other things they are influenced by. Furthermore, it grapples with the struggle between modern and traditional, past and future, and the old generation and new generation.

2014

In 2014 Sokuntevy delivers 2 exhibitions one titled generation gap at utterly art Singapore, and the other named secrets at Java art gallery in Phon Penh. Generation gap represents Cambodia becoming a rapidly developing country and the juxtaposition of a rural country previously dependent on agriculture entering into the digital age. Using surrealism, Sokuntevy depicts the gap between a generation used to candlelight and farming with a new generation brought up with television, smartphones, and the internet and the wreck it has caused on "social mores" and "perspectives."The secrets exhibition is a continuation of Oeur's previous elements such as subconscious and dream energy, however, there's a shift from previous storytelling and social and gender commentary to depicting scenes and portraits of fictionalized characters. Through satirical gestures viewed on the characters, the series investigate personal secrets.

2017

In 2017 Sokuntevy created an exhibition called Cambodia Berlin that is still ongoing till this day. This exhibition was created after Sokuntevy moved to berlin with her husband and is available at Schillepallais. The paintings in this exhibition depict Oeur's experience in a foreign land through painting everyday activities such as taking the public transport and shopping. The paintings aim to bring together two different cultures by showcasing their similarities and differences as well as aid Sokuntevy in finding her place in a foreign country. Notable artwork from the exhibition include "Waiting spring" in which "three women sit on public benches floating in space, each one focused on her phone or lost in her thoughts. A fourth sit nearby casually holding her dog's leash, both dog and mistress wearing sunglasses. The dog is the only one with eyes on the viewer," and "City Life Berlin" which depicts "people rush to climb into a bus, obviously cold in their sweaters and scarves. The top of the bus becomes a surreal scene of people having coffee or casually working on computers with their torsos turning into a multicolor mist."

Cambodian Art

The art scene in Cambodia has evolved due to the country moving from a war era to a developing country that has become a main touristic destination. Local artists have started to infuse modern techniques with Cambodian elements and thus has allowed them to depict wider topics rather than farmers working their rice fields. According to English sculptor Sasha constable, the change to the fact that artists have become more experimental with their concepts and materials used. Nico Mesterharm, director of the Meta House Art Gallery in Phnom Penh attributed the change that was said to be started in 2005 when about 25 local artists started a project called visual arts open and thus igniting the move to contemporary art and away from paintings of landscapes, portraits and the Khmer Rouge. Cambodian art in recent years has gained the interest of an international audience. In 2012 and 2013, Corey, contributor in the section of The Journal of Khmer studies titled "the 'first' Cambodian artists," writes that Cambodian artists were showcased in prominent cities known for their contemporary art scene such as Kassel Germany, New York , and Berlin along with prominent museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute of Foreign Relations). A season of Cambodian living art festival took over many stages in New York city during the months of April and May 2013. As part of the festival, The Museum of Modern Art launched a symposium called "Contemporary art in Cambodia: A Historical Inquiry". During this festival, exhibitions of 10 visual artists and one curator were displayed, along with dance, music, and theatre.

References

AsiaLIFE Cambodia. (2015). Sokuntevy Oeur. [online] Available at: https://www.asialifemagazine.com/cambodia/sokuntevy-oeur/. Corey, P. (2014). The 'first' Cambodian contemporary artist. The Journal of Khmer Studies.

Hunt, L. (2012). Cambodian Art Blossoms. [online] The Diplomat. Available at:https://thediplomat.com/2012/01/cambodian-art-blossoms/. Hunt, L. (2012). Fledgling art scene more trippy than traditional. [online] https://www.bangkokpost.com. Available at:https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/275204/fledgling-art-scene-more-trippy-than-traditional

Murray, B. (2009). Exhibition explores nature of family ties in Cambodia. [online] Phnom Penh Post. Available at:https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/exhibition-explores-nature-family-ties-cambodia.

Kolesnikov-Jessop, S. (2012). Oeur Sokuntevy depicts Cambodian women aspirations | Artinfo. [online] Artinfo. Available at: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/contemporary-arts/article/831609-oeur-sokuntevy-depicts-cambodian-women-aspirations.

Naji, C. (2016). Cambodian Female Artists Confront Gender Roles with Contemporary Art. [online] Culture Trip. Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/cambodia-s-female-artists-how-contemporary-art-is-changing-gender-roles-in-cambodia/.

Pace, N. (2011). About. [online] Sokuntevy.com. Available at: http://sokuntevy.com/about-me/.

Poynton, D. (2007). Young woman's art explores the homosexuality. The Phnom Penh Post. Available at https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/young-womans-art-explores-homosexualityVachon, M. (2017). In Surreal Images, Artist Speculates on Berliners' Inner Lives. The Cambodia Daily. Available at https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/surreal-images-artist-speculates-berliners-inner-lives-131867/

Yang, C. (2012). Ping Vey: A surreal coming of age, The Phnom Penh Post. Available at https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/ping-vey-surreal-coming-age

External links

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