A large sculpture in a gallery.

Sopheap Pich

Cambodia
Visual
Artist in Residence, 2016
http://trfineart.com/artists/sopheap-pich

A person standing in front of pastel-colored buildings.

Artist Statement

Bamboo, rattan, and metal wire have been my main materials since 2004 when I was transitioning from painting to sculpture. Living in Cambodia, they have allowed me to think freely and intuitively in making works that resonate with my situation and my surroundings. Working by hand, I use minimal tools. In this way, the process becomes slow and repetitive, which for the most part, leads to the result becoming a bit different from any original plan.

When writing about my work, people have often evoked the Khmer Rouge while describing my sculptures, a reference I find too limiting. While certain works have relation to that time of my life, I think of the objects I make as possessing potential for energy and a sense of discovery. I believe that the expression of labor and time through my art will lead to some kind of freedom.

While At Headlands

During this short time of focus away from my studio, I would like to make small works, possibly build models for future works, and also draw.