Phnom Penh & Exposition: Discover "Mother's Gold" by Sou Sophy at the Bophana Center

A series of original works titled Mother's Gold by Cambodian artist Sou Sophy is currently on display at the Bophana Center in Phnom Penh.

The term "gold" as used in the title refers to the children whom the artist considers as precious as gold and who represent for her an inexhaustible source of wealth. According to the artist, the emotional bond between a mother and her child is eternal.

This series of works for the exhibition required two years of effort from Sophy, using her weekends and free time. In her 31 exhibited works, the artist uses bamboo baskets and recycled paper such as newspapers, cardboard boxes, and egg cartons. The paper mixture is created by subjecting the original materials to a grinding and soaking process in water for about five days, after which the material takes on a malleable form suitable for sculpting.

In this series, Sophy identifies two pieces as her favorites: the work in which an adult hand is shown holding a baby's hand and another showing two hands carrying a crying baby.

About Sophy

Sophy was born in 1988 in Battambang. In 2004, she enrolled in a drawing course at Phare Ponleu Selpak. While learning, she becomes passionate about this discipline and forgets her childhood dream of becoming an Apsara dancer. Sophy demonstrates great talent and absorbs many creative learning ideas from the foreign volunteers who often come to share their experiences at her school. She will graduate with honors in 2010 and will be selected to teach children who love to draw.

Since 2008, she has created and exhibited her artworks in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Battambang. She also participated in a group exhibition in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and in France on the theme "Memories," organized by the University of Paris VIII and led by Soko Phay-Vakalis.

Sophy is currently an author, graphic designer, and illustrator of children's books. She wishes to continue writing, improve her skills in children's books, and develop graphic novels and comics. She dreams of creating an art school to unleash children's creativity.

"My works have been exhibited 22 times in the context of group exhibitions." "Weeds 2010 was my first solo exhibition, using handmade paper made from rice straw and sugarcane bagasse, at the Sa Sa Art Projects Gallery," the artist recounts.

Her artworks showcased in collective exhibitions range from pencil sketches (on French colonial buildings) to traditional painting (the mural of the Royal Palace), including drawing at the Atelier des souvenirs and learning to draw by watching films at the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center.