REBIRTH:
A PICTURE THAT SAYS MORE
THAN A 1000 WORDS
c. keo // JUNE 13, 2020 // HERITAGE
It’s difficult to find a suitable titel for your work. Especially one that says it all. It’s a creative process in itself. This one isn’t an Apsara, it’s different, it feels like there’s a deeper story behind it.
REMINDER OF CAMBODIA'S DARK PAST
After using this artwork more as a print and tattoo, I received a surprising amount of positive feedback. It intrigued people, partly because it was reminiscent of Cambodia’s dark past. Definitely, the red skeleton and iconic crown speak for themselves, but those less familiar with Cambodia’s history also praised it.
I couldn’t understand why. The irony is that I never intended to give it this meaning. All of this made me more curious and eager to learn more about what exactly was so appealing about this one.
ART IS SUBJECTIVE
“..But what does it mean?” I hear too often.
As if art must have a general meaning. It’s a totally irrelevant question because things like art are subjective. Its meaning can differ from people to people.
Instead, ask, “What does it mean to me? Or what does it mean to you?” And if it doesn’t move you at all, that’s fine too. Not every song has to necessarily move you.
MOVING TO CAMBODIA
I moved to Cambodia in early 2020 to do something with this artwork, so I printed them on t-shirts, and distributed them for free, for publicity. One thing I really wanted to try out, was to have an Apsara wearing my T-shirt with the Rebirth print.
Nevertheless, it was also around this time that I met a young lady, whom I asked what this piece meant to her. She had given it a simply striking title, that got to the heart of its meaning, Rebirth.
