HIGHLANDS by Chhim Sothy

12 Nov 2025 - 12 Dec 2025 - The Gallerist - Phnom Penh - Cambodia

Don’t miss Chhim Sothy’s latest solo art exhibition HIGHLANDS, a captivating exploration of Cambodia’s ethnic communities in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. Through this collection, the artist celebrates the rich traditions, daily lives, and spiritual connections of the indigenous people, portrayed with his signature blend of contemporary expression and cultural depth.

Chhim Sothy’s art is deeply rooted in a vision of Cambodian culture — both influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism that once flourished around the Great Lake (Tonlé Sap) and along the lower Mekong River.

But this Cambodia also has another side, another world which can be described by the word “highlands.” It is a world where tribal life continues, far from the modern civilizations that have shaped the Indochinese peninsula. These are people who are often misunderstood or looked down upon by the majority. For example, the word Phnong — which names the main ethnic group in Mondulkiri — can also mean “wild” or “savage.”

It is exactly this idea of “wildness” that inspires the artist.