Diaspora People’s Month 2020
Week 5: Envisioning Eǔtopia + Closing Ceremony
On Wednesday, July 29 at 7PM, SAMASAMA x SCL held a discussion on Envisioning Eutopia, followed by a Closing Ceremony. Featuring Lovely Umayam, a nuclear policy wonk whose work is rooted in activism and art, and live and direct from Cambodia, Lisa Mam and Peap Tarr, pioneers of the Cambodian street art scene, the conversation also included Seda Nak of SAMASAMA and Barrett Pittner of SCL. Our resident selector, Les the DJ will close out the event.
Lovely Umayam is a Research Analyst & Project Manager at foreign policy think-tank, Stimson Center. She is the founder and chief writer for Bombshelltoe, a blog featuring stories about nuclear history, politics, art, and media. Her work currently focuses on innovative ways to promote and incentivize weapon of mass destruction nonproliferation, as well as examining the intersection between WMD nonproliferation and global trade development.
Lisa Mam is Cambodia’s first Khmer female urban street artist, having had shows both in Cambodia and abroad most notably with, Lotus Arts De Vivre in Bangkok, Bed Supperclub Bangkok, including shoes released by Bucketfeet and selling at Nordstrom USA, and a feature in the French documentary called “Beauty of Woman Around the World“ broadcast by Arte TV, Lisa is a rising star on the scene. Lisa Mam has been on the rise fast in Phnom Penh City, she is the future of Cambodian Urban art and a true trailblazer so keep your eyes to the streets and international art galleries. Lisa also states that she is helping a new urban art movement grow here in her hometown of Phnom Penh city and she wants Khmer Graffiti and Street Art to be seen all around the world which she believes will help boost urban Khmer Art as officially being on the map which she believes will enhance Modern Khmer arts and culture and hopefully will make the youth of Cambodia and Khmer Youth around the world proud of their culture.
Peap Tarr is of mixed heritage, Mother Cambodian and Father from Te Awamutu, New Zealand. Peap, an Auckland Native, has been for many years evolving his art style into his own creation by combining his New Zealand Heritage and Cambodian Heritage to create a unique form of street art with his signature and sinister yet tranquil works of art which has caught the attention of art lovers around the world and also gained respect from many of his art peers that has given Peap international recognition Peap’s art exists in a world where lightness and darkness battle, yet coexist in the same breath to balance each other and contrast against each other.
