Joining the TRIBE

It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have been asked to exhibit my work at TRIBE Art Gallery, here in Siem Reap, Cambodia, joining their wonderful family of local and international artists.

TRIBE Gallery was founded by Nat Di Maggio and his husband Terry McIlkenny in 2018.  After the tragic passing of Terry, followed by the outbreak of COVID-19, Nat relocated to Phnom Penh where he had many successful exhibitions at some of Cambodia’s most prestigeous venues, before once again opening a gallery here in Siem Reap in February 2024.

Today, Nat is regarded as one of the most important curators in Cambodia, and, after the hardships of recent years, the opening of TRIBE Siem Reap represents a great boost to the city’s art and cultural scene.  It is a real privilege for me to be invited to exhibit my work at TRIBE, my second gallery in Siem Reap after the opening of my permanent solo exhibition at Anantara Angkor Resort in August 2023.

Should you find yourself here in Cambodia, the Kingdom of Wonder, I’d highly recommend a visit to TRIBE Art Gallery Siem Reap, it’s a great space with some gorgeous works on display, and Nat is the perfect host.  It’s open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon until 8pm, or by appointment.  If you’d like to meet with me please contact me and I’d be delighted to see you there.

TRIBE is now open in the 1961 building on the Siem Reap River.  An art piece itself, the Van Molyvann-designed building hosts exhibitions, art classes, art weekends, and art retreats.

The Tribe Family

Since it was founded in 2018, TRIBE has increased its portfolio of artists to represent 20 Cambodian, two Singaporean, three Thai, five British, and four American artists.  Each of Nat’s exhibitions features at least 75 percent Cambodian art.

It has been an honour and a delight for me to be welcomed as part of the amazing family of talented artists here at TRIBE, a list that includes:

Hom Rith is a self-taught Cambodian artist born in 1986.  As a child, he was inspired to make drawings by the mural paintings at his local pagoda.  He began selling his artwork at the temples in 2008, and his work has been exhibited throughout Cambodia since 2018.

Phirom Styles was born in 1988, the eldest of 11 siblings, in a Cambodian refugee camp on the Thai border.  A gifted photographer, he takes pictures that enable the viewer to see his country “through Khmer eyes”.

Ping Pong is a Thai artist who’s work features butterflies, representing the delicate beauty of us all.

Morn Chear, born in Kampot, Cambodia, in 1991, is a successful multitalented visual and performing artist – an accomplished contemporary dancer, singer, and visual artist.  His work depicts scenes from his everyday life before and after an electrical shock accident cost him both of his arms in his early 20s.

Frank Zhen relocated to Siem Reap from Singapore.  His work is based on traditional Chinese paper cut motifs in red and white, and on his new home in Cambodia.

Jo Farrell is an award-winning British photographer and cultural anthropologist.  Her work focuses on traditions and cultured that are dying out, including the project “Living History: Bound Feet Women of China”.

Ngo Van Sac was born in 1980 in Hanoi, Vietnam.  His extraordinary wood burn portraits capture the raw beauty and profound authenticity of the Vietnamese people.

AOF Balance is a Thai artist who's paintings and sculptures represent the perfect balance that we seek in our lives.

Carne Griffiths is a British artist working primarily with calligraphy inks, graphite, and liquids like tea to make dreamlike images that invite the viewer to explore new realms.

Justina Edwardson’s work is infused with the energetic spirit of Pop Art, fostering a deeper appreciation of the beauty and complexity of Cambodia’s colourful life.

Ponleu was born in Siem Reap province in 1994.  His work breathes life into forgotten cultures and demonstrates his strong connection to nature and the countryside of his beloved country, Cambodia.

THUN Dina was born in Kampong Cham province, Cambodia, in 1989.  His paintings are inspired by his own experiences of the transition from a harmonious rural life to an urban one, paying witness to the urbanisation of Cambodia in recent years, and the precarious positions of workers, fishermen and merchants in the crossroads between tradition and modernity.

Nak Noy was born in Siem Reap in 1999 and has been obsessed by making art for as long as he can remember.  His work is layered with metaphor and symbolism, with recurring themes of strong women and female empowerment inspired by the women in his life – his mother and younger sister.

Art Foo is a former art teacher from Singapore, who now paints full time, and is most inspired when in Cambodia, where he works with local artists and uses his work to raise funds for charity.

CHOV Theanly was born in Battambang, Cambodia, in 1985, during the Cambodian-Vietnamese war.  His family lived in a house with a small bookshop, and he was inspired to create by the prints from Cambodian and Russian artists that he discovered there, and also by his uncle, a movie sign painter.

In the West, we often see art as a luxury product.  Whereas one thing I love about Cambodia is that the arts are seen as a part of everyday life; it’s a part of the culture of the nation.

It’s the Chinese year of the dragon, and during Covid-19 the huge Siem Reap dragon went to sleep.  I think it’s time that the dragon woke up.  The year of the dragon represents hope and prosperity, and in the art scene we’re always hopeful that things will take off.

– TRIBE's founder and curator, Nat Di Maggio