Cambodian, b. May 5th, 1981
Born in Battambang City, in the northwest of Cambodia.
Kim Hak was born two years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime and he grew up listening to his parent’s memories of that time. Now, he uses his art practice to raise awareness of this country’s past – to remember, reclaim and reinterpret Cambodian social history from before, during and after the Khmer Rouge era.
Hak’ s work has explored a number of themes related to the cultural fabric of Cambodia, including survivor stories (memory, refugee camps, host countries, Cambodian diasporas, healing process, communities, humanity, and renaissance), visual anthropology, the funeral of King Sihanouk, architectural documentation and also the wider changing landscape of his homeland.
Kim Hak has exhibited extensively throughout Asia, Oceania, Europe, Canada and the United States of America. His work has featured internationally at art and photography festivals and has been published in a number of prominent photography journals.
Education
2002, Hak received his bachelor degree in major Tourism at National Institute of Management in Phnom Penh. After graduation, Kim Hak had spent 7 years working in Tourism industry before he stepped into photography. He has learnt photography via different workshops and training inside Cambodia and also in Southeast-Asia.
| 2015 February | Photo Phnom Penh Workshop, Phnom Penh – Cambodia Tutor: Patricia LANZA (Anneberg Space for Photography) |
| 2012 July | Kep Expo Workshop, Kep – Cambodia Tutors: Francoise Hugier (Agence VU) with her assistant, Cyril ROSE |
| 2012 May | National Museum of Singapore Tutors: Rebecca Noris Webb & Alex Webb (Magnum Photos) |
| 2011 October | Photo Meeting of Stream Photo Asia, Bangkok Tutor: Giulio di Sturco (Getty Images) |
| 2010 February – December | Studio Image of French Institute, Phnom Penh Tutor: Alexandre Burgeat (Melon Rouge Agency) |
| 2009 November | Angkor Photography Workshop, Siem Reap Tutors: Antoine d’ Agata (Magnum Photos) & Arantxa Cedillo (Agence Cosmos) |
| 2009 August | University of Kuala Lumpur with Amad Fami (a lecturer) |
Exhibitons
| Solo | |
|---|---|
| 2023 December – 2024 February | “My Beloved” at French Institute of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh |
| 2023 August – September | “Alive” at Sosoro Museum, in Phnom Penh |
| 2023 June – July | “Alive” at 2F Yokohama Coast Room 3, in Yokohama City – Kanagawa Prefecture |
| 2022 September | “Alive” at Elevated Studio Site-A Gallery, in Yokohama City – Kanagawa Prefecture |
| 2022 August | “Alive” at Spiral Garden, in Tokyo |
| 2021 December | “My Beloved” at 9th Xishuangbanna Foto Festival, in Jinghong – Yun Nan province |
| 2019 August | “Alive” at Bophana Center, Phnom Penh |
| 2019 June – July | “Alive” at Objectspace, Auckland |
| 2018 December | “ON” at 7th Xishuangbanna Foto Festival, in Jinghong – Yun Nan province |
| 2017 November | “Alive” at Gallery Zlotowski (Photo Saint Germain 2017), Paris |
| 2017 October – November | “Left Behind” at Bophana Centre (Photo Phnom Penh 2017), Phnom Penh |
| 2017 June | “Alive” at Silo 6 (Auckland Festival of Photography 2017), Auckland |
| 2016 October – November | “Alive” at Eba Bahi (2nd edition of Photo Kathmandu), Kathmandu |
| 2016 October – November | “Tioulong” at Lotus Pond Gallery of The Plantation, Phnom Penh |
| 2015 June | “Alive” at Ayer Lofts Art Gallery, Lowell – Massachusetts |
| 2015 April – May | “Alive” at Foreign Correspondents’ Club Thailand, Bangkok |
| 2015 January – February | “Alive” at French Institute (7th edition of Photo Phnom Penh), Phnom Penh |
| 2015 January – March | “Unity” at Java Arts, Phnom Penh |
| 2014 November – December | “Alive” at Gallery 1961 (10th edition of Angkor Photo Festival), Siem Reap |
| 2014 November | “Alive” at Pisztory Palace during OFF_festival, Bratislava |
| 2013 July – August | “Drip” at HASY Gallery, Le Pouliguen |
| 2013 April – May | “Drip” at French Institute, Phnom Penh |
| 2012 September | “After 12” at META House, Phnom Penh |
| 2012 May – June | “Daun Penh” at Reyum Institute, Phnom Penh |
| 2012 May – July | “ON” at HASY Gallery, Le Pouliguen |
| 2010 November – December | “ON” at Mansion, Phnom Penh |
| Groups | |
|---|---|
| 2022 January – April | “Sunset”, Fertile Ground at Horsham Regional Art Gallery |
| 2021 July – November | “Sunset”, Fertile Ground at Center for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne |
| 2020 November – December | “Alive” at Factory Phnom Penh (Sa Sa Fundraising Auction), Phnom Penh |
| 2020 August – December | “Alive” at Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University – New York |
| 2019 December – 2020 February | “Someone” at Musee du quai Branly (Photographies du Cambodge), Paris |
| 2019 November | “ON” at Institute of Foreign Languages (Art4Peace), Phnom Penh |
| 2019 October – November | “ON” & “Someone” at Ambassade de France (10th of PPP), Phnom Penh |
| 2019 July | “Alive” at American University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh |
| 2019 April – May | “Left Behind” – re/dis/cover.Kambodcha at Medienwerkstatt Wienn, Vienna |
| 2018 October | “Alive” at Rodeo Window Gallery (5th of Suwon Photo), Suwon |
| 2018 August – September | “Left Behind” at The Conference on Art and Projects”, Kobe |
| 2017 December – 2018 March | “Alive” at Faux Mouvement, Centre d’ Art Contemporain, Metz |
| 2016 July – August | “Alive” at National Museum, part of Histories of the Future, Phnom Penh |
| 2015 October | “ON” and “Someone” at Queens Museum, New York |
| 2015 October | “Alive” at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York |
| 2015 July – October | “Someone” and “Alive” at Bangkok Art & Culture Center of Photo Bangkok |
| 2015 September – 2016 January | “Alive” at Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse during Renaissance, Lille |
| 2015 June | “Alive” at Logan Art Gallery (Jorng Jam II), Brisbane – Queensland |
| 2015 May | “Alive” at Somerset House during Photo London, London |
| 2015 April – May | “Alive” at Le Magasin de Jouets, Arles |
| 2014 October | “Alive” at Greenly Art Space, Long Beach |
| 2014 March | “Cambodia” at Thailand Cultural Center (ASEAN EYE CULTURE), Bangkok |
| 2014 January – February | “Alive” at Bophana Center (Jorng Jam I for Our City Festival), Phnom Penh |
| 2013 September – October | “After 12” at Old Sugar Factor (SIPF NOMAD), Groningen |
| 2013 July – September | “ON” at Le Magasin de Jouets, Arles |
| 2013 June – July | “Daun Penh” at Karin Weber Gallery, Hong Kong |
| 2012 November | “ON” at New Zero Art (International Multimedia Art Festival), Yangon |
| 2012 October – November | “After 12” at 3rd edition of Singapore International Photography Festival |
| 2012 September | “ON” at Bonington during World Event Young Artists, Nottingham |
| 2012 July | “Phnom Penh 2012” at Meta House (Free Your Mind Festival), Phnom Penh |
| 2012 May – June | “ON” at The East Gallery, Toronto |
| 2012 March | “After 12” at French Institute, Phnom Penh |
| 2012 February – March | “Energy” at Central World, Bangkok |
| 2011 September – November | “ON” at Musée du Quai Branly (3rd PHOTO QUAI), Paris |
| 2009 December | “Renovation of Central Market” at Psar Thom Thmey, Phnom Penh |
Awards / Grants / Prizes
| 2022 | Springboard Grant of Cambodian Living Arts, Phnom Penh |
| 2021 | Best Foreign Photographer Award at Xishuangbanna International Photo |
| 2018 | Outstanding Photography Award at Xishuangbanna International Photo |
| 2012 | Best Artist in the “Best of Phnom Penh” of The Advisor, Phnom Penh |
| 2011 | “Residency Program” Prize of Musée du Quai Branly, Paris |
| 2011 | 2nd Prize of Stream Photo Asia, Bangkok |
Collaborations & Residencies
| 2022 | Collaboration with Rei Foundation Limited Exhibition of “Alive” – Chapter IV in Tokyo and Kanagawa, plus book publication |
| 2020 | Fellowship of the Japan Foundation Asia Center Produced “Alive” – Chapter IV in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama, Japan |
| 2016 – 2019 | Collaboration with a well-known Japanese dancer & choreographer, Akiko Kitamura Produced contemporary dance piece “Cross Transit” in Japan |
| 2019 | Collaboration with Rei Foundation Limited Exhibition “Alive” – Chapter III in Auckland, New Zealand, plus publication |
| 2018 | Collaboration with Rei Foundation Limited Produced “Alive” – Chapter III in Auckland, New Zealand |
| 2015 | Collaboration with Australian producer Pip Kelly, “Jorng Jam” – Part II Produced “Alive” – Chapter II in Brisbane, Australia |
| 2014 | Collaboration with Australian producer Pip Kelly, “Jorng Jam” – Part I Produced “Alive” – Chapter I in Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
Collections
| 2022 | Photos from project “Alive” – Chapter II at Australian War Memorial Museum |
| 2020 | Photos from project “Alive” – Chapter III at Auckland War Memorial Museum |
| 2012 | Photos from project “Someone” at Musée du Quai Branly in Paris |
| Kim Hak’s photographs have been collected by many other private collectors as well. | |