Hello everybody! Its been a while but there’s a new exhibition on the horizon. It’s always wondrous how life works and how lives intersect. Almost a year ago I was introduced to the wondrous Alley Michelle of AlleyWho fame. She shared with me her grand idea of committing to an exhibition with a difference and one that was close to my heart. Alley Michelle, an accomplished artist, and entrepreneur accomplished the unenviable task of coordinating a group of seriously talented artists from Gotham Studios and myself to create work on the theme of Heart + Hope Cambodia. We were to create a exhibition of contemporary art responding to the contemporary issues of my home country – which are many but ever the optimist I also see the possibilities. As a Cambodia artist it was an honour to be involved and to have the wonderful feedback from Artists such as Michael Doherty and Jan Altmann. And while I didn’t produce any ‘new’ work per se the exhibition forced me to lift my game to a new level.

My painting is a response to the title of the Exhibition – Heart + Hope. The painting occupies a psychological space in which the heart and hope and inextriciably linked, one cannot be without the other. We cannot hope without using our hearts and at the core of our hearts is an innate wellspring of hope.  The abstracted figure of man symbolises our shared humanity, the sky is a metaphor for an unlimited and open potential,  and the sea also provides a link back to our shared ancestry or the ‘ocean of humanity’. It is only through using our hearts and being open to hope can we ‘rise above’ the currents of oppression and injustice. Above the waves is the light of a new day.

Please share this page with your friends and schedule this exhibition into your diaries. 50 Percent of all proceeds go to assisting Cambodian causes. See you there!!

The details once again are:

HEART & HOPE CAMBODIA

Opening: Thursday 6 May at 6pm

Exhibition from: 1 June – 5 August 2012

Where: Access Gallery, John Curtin Gallery Building 200.

            Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley Wa 6012