Suos Sodavy

SUOS Sodavy (b. 1955, Kandal Province, Cambodia) is a highly regarded senior artist in Cambodia with a firm place in its art history as an active figure from the post-war years of the 1980s through today.  

After surviving the Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979), Sodavy lived in an orphanage and taught dance, drawing, and puppet theatre (1979-1983), then worked as a designer at the Technical University in Cambodia (1983-1984). As a part of an initiative to rebuild arts and education in Cambodia following the death of an estimated 90% of its artists and masters during the Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979), selected students were nominated for advanced education in the Soviet Eastern bloc countries. Suos Sodavy was sent to Hungary, where he lived for over a decade. He graduated from the International Language School in 1986, the Teacher Training College of Nyfreghàza in 1989, and he earned a Masters of Fine Arts from the Department of Painting, Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest, in 1994. For the past 25 years, he has been a Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts and has held numerous roles in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, including Deputy Director, Department of Arts and Handicrafts.

Suos Sodavy often commits his paintbrush to his keen observations of everyday urban life in Phnom Penh. The series Market Scenes (2010) was inspired by mobile street vendors, which constitute what the artist refers to as “walking markets” across Cambodia’s urban landscapes. The acrylic and tempera paintings on canvas depict figures and their wares-for-sale amidst a nondescript, subtly illuminated background. The softness of these paintings can feel nostalgic – walking markets are a timeless tradition – yet these portraits are based on specific vendors – commonly women and children – working in Phnom Penh today. While the paintings acknowledge the strength and patience of the vendors, their titles remind us of anonymous labor and a challenging life defined by what and where they sell.

Suos Sodavy has exhibited extensively around the world, including in Hungary, Russia, Vietnam, the United States, and China. In Phnom Penh, he has held solo exhibitions at Java Café, Metahouse, and Intercontinental Hotel, among others. Recent group exhibitions include at the National Museum of Cambodia and Thailand Biennale 2018. Sodavy has been honored with numerous awards, most recently “Venerable Artist of the Year 2016” by Mahasarakham University in Thailand.