My Beloved by Kim Hak

Rei Foundation is pleased to present My Beloved, a new exhibition of photographs by Cambodian artist Kim Hak at BankART Station in Yokohama from 2 - 17 November 2024. The exhibition comprises 56 photographs documenting landscapes of Cambodia, where Kim Hak was born and continues to work, taken during his travels over a period of 10 years. Accompanying the exhibition is a publication of the same name, to be available for purchase from the opening day.

Artist statement by Kim Hak

Cambodia is more than just the mysteries of Angkor Wat and the history of the Khmer Rouge. My Beloved is my response to these preconceptions as a photographer. This is the place where I was born. It breathes art and pulsates with culture. The beautiful people and abundant nature continue to breathe life into me.

Before I devoted myself to photography, I worked in the travel industry and traveled to every corner of Cambodia for seven years from 2003. During that time, I worked for two years as part of the archaeology team of the Apsara Authority, which protects and preserves the Angkor ruins, and felt the breath of history up close. I also spent another five years at a travel agency in Phnom Penh. Then in 2012, I set off on a journey to pursue the landscapes of Cambodia with my camera in hand. I set foot on the land of the Mekong River, the endless Tonle Sap Lake, and further on to the land that leads to the southern coastline. Sometimes alone, and sometimes I shared the journey with close friends and family. This trip was a valuable experience that allowed me to further imprint the profound knowledge of Cambodia that I have acquired through my work.

In the ever-changing landscape of Cambodia, I find the eternal grace woven by the breath of nature, the activities of the people, and the flow of time. I know that even in change, there is a tranquil beauty that remains unchanged.

From the beginning of this project, I felt that dawn symbolises a new era for Cambodia, and I continued to pursue a world enveloped in soft morning light. Therefore, I always chose to shoot early in the morning, the moment when the night quietly breaks. This album of the trip is a subjective record that reflects my own inner self, but in the extremely precise cut frames, the natural colors without effects subtly but surely highlight the rich expressions and diversity of the Cambodian land.

It took me 10 years to complete this work. During that long time, I witnessed the rapid transformation of Cambodia's landscape. New construction booms and waves of urbanisation came, and places that once existed disappeared or lost their former appearance, changing dramatically.

My Beloved is my own personal journey, written by the method of analog photography, and at the same time a love letter filled with deep affection for my hometown. Each photograph is deeply engraved with my emotions and sentiments about the place I photographed. I did not just point my camera, but stood there, breathing in the air, smelling the scents, and carefully feeling the light and wind touching my skin. I released the shutter while listening to the voice of the land.

As if carefully opening an envelope and gently taking out a letter from it. My work is intended to convey to the world the gentle time that flows in Cambodia and its rich colors.

This journey is also a hope to deliver hope and dreams to a new generation looking to the future. May our ever-changing hometown remain a place full of hope for the younger generation.

Cambodia 2012-2022