The One Hundred Hands

Became inspired by a well- known Cambodian proverb, which reads "women have 100 hands." Inspired by this proverb and funded by the grant I won from Treeline Urban Resort Artist Grant program, I created a new series of work entitled, "One Hundred Hands" with my community in my home village in Kralanh District, Siem Reap. This series was exhibited at
Treeline Urban Resort from November 21, 2020 - February 28, 2021.
I was reminded of her mother's words. “as women, we must engage in endless multi- tasking in our roles as wives, mothers, housekeepers, cleaners, cooks, as women, we must engage in ensures multi-tasking in our roles as wives, mothers, housekeepers, cleaners, cooks, and our various other roles.” In 2020, Kanha held a workshop with women in my home village during which she became inspired by their stories. She offered new sarongs (traditional wrap skirts) to the women in my village in exchange for their old ones. Once the exchange was made, she asked them to collectively sew the used ones into a large single installation piece which I am then used as a prop for a photo shoot at several locations throughout the village including the lush green rice fields. Several women participated, and she also staged several self-portraits. Sometimes, the sarong installation became a sort of cocoon she wrapped herself in other times it appeared as a burdensome load a woman was pulling across a vast, empty landscape.
My series pays homage to the stories of the women in her village, translated into visual images.
Bringing attention to the proverb "women have 100 hands" and the voices of women in her village,