The word ‘surviving’ is not an uncommon one in Cambodian parlance. Its history strewn with horrors, the country has endured more than its fair share of the worst side of humanity. Of Chov Theanly’s exhibition of the same name, his first solo venture, the swift-rising, self-taught artist says simply: “I want to be an honest artist.” Drawing from his own experience, he tells the story of everyday life and personal aspirations through a simple gesture, says the literature from host gallery Java Arts. ‘In each composition a solitary figure stands or sits with their head tilted back and their body extended behind them. Theanly paints a horizon just above their mouth suggesting they are floating in water, barely able to breathe – just surviving. The figures do not struggle but are calm and appear introspective. A tension is created, however, by the imagined water and uncertainty of the situation. Theanly has reduced the complexity of the human condition to a singular gesture that is poetic and universal.’
WHO: Chov Theanly
WHAT: Surviving art exhibition opening
WHERE: Java Arts Cafe, #56 Sihanouk Blvd.
WHEN: From 6:30pm May 30
WHY: He wants to be an “honest artist”