Two Oceans
The photographs in this series were made in 2022 and 2023 in Providence, Rhode Island and its neighboring cities, which are home to a large Cambodian population. Centering portraits of families and friends within my circle of Cambodian Americans and their parents, many of them share ties with my mother, a locally-known nurse practitioner who fled from Cambodia as a refugee. Being from the smallest state, each of the people I photograph are interconnected, and are sequenced by links with the previous person exhibited.
In the 1970s, after taking power during the Cambodian Civil War, the Khmer Rouge committed genocide against 3 million Cambodians. Their regime darkened Cambodia’s photographic history by using black and white film and darkroom printing to document their victims. Struck by this, I intentionally utilized the 8 x 10 large format camera and black and white film to make this work. While keeping this past alive in the details, I share an intimate look into my contemporary Cambodian community’s legacy, perseverance, and roots in two places at once.
My Mother and Grandmother, Barrington, RI. (Holding my mom's wallet insert, my grandma presents two photographs of herself before the Khmer Rouge genocide, and an a photo taken by the Khmer Rouge of my mom's sister, who died in concentration camp.)
Mother Fruits, Barrington, RI. (My mother plucks jackfruit from a tray of various fruits that remind her of home, the motherland.)
Mr. Ting and Sophia, Warwick, RI. (My friend's daughter and her grandfather enjoy fishing at Conimicut Park.)
Mr. Ting, Warwick, RI. (Mr. Ting in his apartment, playing the tro for me.)
Mr. Ting's Memories, Warwick, RI. (Mr. Ting makes collages of photographs, ranging from his time as monk in Cambodia to the birth of his granddaughter.)
Peter Ting with A Photograph his Mother, Cranston, RI. (Peter holds a photograph of his late mother, Sophia, at a Buddhist Temple, where her ashes are kept. A ceremony was held here on the day of her funeral, and for 100 day after.)
Jay Khamvongsouk, Providence, RI. (Jay is a locally-known DJ in Providence, posing beneath the city's infamous highway ramps.)
Pheakdiy Mony Sok, Cranston, RI. (My friend's father on his porch.)
Chris Chea and Song Kim, Warwick, RI. (Kru (Coach) Kim is the owner of Rogue Island Combat, a Cambodian boxing gym. Here, he wraps his student Sgt. Chris Chea's hands.)
Sgt. Chris Chea and his Grandmother, Fall River, MA. 2023. (After coming to the US, Chris' grandma, Any, started many Cambodian restaurants, retiring with Soriya Market which became a second home for their family. Out of her many grandchildren, Chris proudly visits and helps her the most.)
Danny Chum, Johnston, RI. (Danny is the owner of Empire Tattoo Studio RI.)
Saroeuy Muy with Memories of her Husband, Attleboro, MA. (My friend Shannel was raised by her grandparents Saroeuy and Duong. When she was three, Duong passed in the living room where we made this image. She feels his presence as her guardian angel.)
Sarah Prak, Providence, RI. (My friend Sarah served in the US Air Force).
Altar in Memory of Makthra Men, Cranston, RI. 2023. (This altar in my friend Kanika's home honors her late older brother, Makthra. This altar is a way to keep his memory alive.)
My Mother, Barrington, RI. 2022.