B.1969
Gallery
Artist review
Chhim Sothy was born in 1969 in Kandal province. He studied 10 years at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh where he learned traditional Khmer painting. Chhim Sothy showed his paintings in Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, the United States and France. His show in Carcassonne was a great success. His work surprises by the diversity of styles, how he mixes, on the one hand, spontaneous and gestural abstract painting, and on the other, skilful and well balanced, traditional painting. The mythical characters of epic Hindu poems, very delicately drawn, often sit in an anachronistic explosion of colour. In the ballet of extravagant brush strokes and fantastic heroes we discover a man of contagious enthusiasm, an explorer of life, an observer of society and definitely a hard worker. Sothy relentless strives to express not only the tormented past that all Cambodians have in common, but also their desperate search for Serenity. "I am like a monk searching for Wisdom" he says. Now look at this Apsara: Chhim Sothy painted only her gesture in space. There is some wisdom in this graceful marriage of modernity and tradition.
Margherita del Balzo , artist
Exhibitions
- 2005: Voctoria Hotels and Resorts, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
- 2004: Fealac Art Exhibit Guidelines in Manila, Philippine.
- 2004: French Cultural Center Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2004: Maison du Chevalier, Carcasonne, France.
- 2004: Ganesha Gallery, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2003: "Vision of Future", Reyum Gallery, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2003: 60th Celebration of Silapakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- 2003: Le Royal, Raffle International Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2002: Providence College, Rhode Island, USA.
- 2002: French Cultural Center Siem Reap, Cambodia.
- 2002: National cultural center, Phnom Penh Cambodia.
Awards
- 2004: 1st prize of Painting (Future of Culture), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2003: 1st prize of Painting (Life and Nature), Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2003: 2nd prize of "Utopies, Dream or Reality", French Cultural Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2000: 1st prize of traditional painting by the Plastic arts and Crafts Department, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- 2000: Asean Art Awards, Singapore, Phillip Moris Group.