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 brings together 56 photographs documenting the landscapes of Cambodia, where Kim Hak was born and continues to work. He took the photographs during his travels over a ten-year period. A publication of the same name will also be available for purchase from the exhibition's 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.

From 2003, I spent seven years working in the travel industry and travelling throughout Cambodia before devoting myself fully to photography.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.There, I 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 travelled along the Mekong River, the vast Tonle Sap Lake, and further southwards to the 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 deepen the understanding 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 record of my trip is a subjective record that reflects my own inner self. But in the carefully composed frames, the natural colors, presented without effects, subtly 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 I once knew disappeared or changed beyond recognition.

My Beloved is my own personal journey, created through the medium of analogue 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.

Creating this work felt like carefully opening an envelope and gently taking out a letter. Through it, I hope to share the gentle pace of life in Cambodia and its rich colours with the world.

This journey is also an expression of hope for a new generation looking towards the future. May our ever-changing hometown remain a place full of hope for the younger generation.

Cambodia 2012-2022