Born Circa 1970, Pier Reang, Cambodia
Lives and works in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Leang Seckon is one of the few remaining artists in Cambodia who directly experienced the Khmer Rouge period. His strongly autobiographical practice includes painting, collage and video work and reflects on his experiences of the tumultuous and violent history of modern Cambodia. Leang was born at the onset of the American bombings of Indochina and grew up during the rise of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Almost a generation of artists was wiped out during this period, leaving a visible gap and palpable legacy in the country's contemporary art. Leang's dense paintings are characterised by lush tapestry-like surfaces, filled with collage elements, embroidery and illustrations that combine myth, popular culture and history. Hell of Tuol Sleng 2014 depicts a high school that became a notorious prison and death camp, while Indochina 2014 reflects on his country's spiritual and colonial past.