PHNOM PENH – Renowned artist Hour Seyha unveils his solo exhibition in Phnom Penh, featuring 16 artworks that explore the wounds and hurdles experienced by rural communities.
With the theme “Life in the Countryside”, Seyha transforms his observations of villagers’ hardships into art.
“Acknowledging and experiencing many challenges in the countryside prompted my interest to highlight them through my paintings for both domestic and international audiences as a reminder of what is still happening in rural areas,” Seyha said.
“One of the most concerning hurdles is related to agriculture, where harvests are sold at low prices, pushing my own relatives to migrate to work in Thailand.”
What was even worse for Seyha was seeing the negative impacts of drug use, particularly on his own networks, who suffer from psychological wounds as a result.
His artworks also show the issues of evictions, threats, untreated illness, pressure from financial markets and fraud.
Spending about a year to complete this latest collection, Seyha is excited to return to the capital to exhibit his artworks and hopes the public will be interested in visiting them from October 2.
The exhibition is at R5 Showroom in Daun Penh district and will be open to the public until the end of November, every Thursday to Sunday from 2pm to 6.30pm. Admission is free.
Born in Oddar Meanchey, Seyha, 34, moved to study at Phare Ponleu Selpak art school in the early 2010s, which further deepened his passion for painting.
He recalled his childhood memories of tending cows in the rice fields — moments that shaped his vision of what he wished to explore when he grew up.
“I was drawn to the breathtaking landscapes of the countryside and my childhood memories until I began to question myself — what if I could transform those memories into paintings?” Seyha said.
“Since the day I enrolled in art education, my life has been inseparable from art.”
As a father of three children, with a wife working as a farmer, Seyha’s household relies heavily on income from the sale of his artworks.
To gain more recognition, he has sought every opportunity to exhibit his paintings, whether in solo, duo or group shows. His hard work paid off, leading him to participate in group exhibitions in Canada, France and the United States since 2012.
Seyha is based at Romcheik 5 Studio, a contemporary art museum and gallery in Battambang province, where he works alongside two other Cambodian artists.
Established in 2012, Romcheik 5 provides space to exhibit their works, which often reflect the pain and hope of the Cambodian people through art.
Seyha says he never feels bored with painting and finds his days meaningless if he does not draw or paint.
His themes mostly focus on the hardships of rural communities, the difficulties caused by war and explorations of space.
