About Us

“Which Renaissance'',

FONKI (Cambodia & Canada),

2019

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Based on their own personal experience with Cambodia, "Khmer Renaissance" series shows FONKI & Ranon Phal's desire to bring forward their cultural roots and a common love for the Kingdom of Wonders. Made for their "Khmer Renaissance" series, "Which Renaissance" is a contemporary pictorial echo of this new era Cambodia and the world is plunged in. A reflection of its people from different generations, backgrounds and social classes, the old vs new, the streets, ancient Khmer culture and heritage; giving them a playful new life while creating new stories, triggering the audience imagination and subjective point of view on today's Cambodia. The model on this painting is FONKİ & Ranon's homeless neighbor living down the street from their old home studio. The idea was to give another perception of this "Khmer Renaissance" and Phnom Penh's blossoming development time. While skyscrapers are growing, Mr.Homeless blind and with not his full mind in place, won't be able to see this "Renaissance". Living and surviving organically within his mini-society of street workers, merchants, tuk-tuk drivers down the street, mr.Homelessness is sacredly and peacefully erected in this painting as a testimony of Cambodia's past and today's fast-changing era. "In this portrait, I wanted to explore and portray the common sacred humanity within all of us" - FONKI