Souliya Phoumivong
APT9
Born 1983 Ban Kokxay, Laos
Lives and works in Ban Kokxay, Laos
Animator and new-media artist Souliya Phoumivong initially trained as a painter and was a member of the first artist-run space in Laos. His practice underwent a radical shift in 2010 following a residency in Tokyo, and his works now encompass photography, video and claymation. He established the Clay House Studio in 2012 and was subsequently approached to create the first children’s television series in Laos, My Village, which ran for several seasons. As his practice has developed, Phoumivong’s studio and set designs have become more sophisticated, but he continues to retain a hand-made quality in productions. His recent video and installation works imaginatively combine filmed footage, stop-motion animation, and models made from locally sourced clay. He also teaches and mentors younger artists in film and animation.
Souliya Phoumivong / Laos b.1983 / Flow 2018 (production image) / Stop motion animation, colour, sound / © and courtesy: Souliya Phomivong
In 2012, Souliya Phoumivong established the Clay House Studio at his home in the small rural village of Ban Kokxay, in Laos, which subsequently became the home of Laos’s first television show for young children, called My Village. The studio has gradually grown in scale and sophistication, enabling Phoumivong to explore the educational and communicative role of video and animation.
Using handmade clay modelling and stop-animation, Phoumivong’s Flow 2018 displays an accessible and local aesthetic. The film portrays a simple yet pointed story about a character compelled to join a buffalo herd, a metaphor for the unquestioning conformity of contemporary society. Inspired by new modes of communication, technology and social media and how they are affecting the lives of people in Laos, the film is an allegory of the challenges facing individuals trying to find their own creative and moral paths.
Through his unique animations, Phoumivong addresses the concerns and realities of life in Laos by focusing on the issues and anxieties associated with new technologies and urban development. In doing so, he has changed art production in his country, while educating a younger generation of artists and media professionals.
