Kanel KHIEV

KHIEV Kanel (b. 1988, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) graduated in Computer Science and Auditing but turned to photography in 2013. He uses photography, moving images, and performance art to document and tell stories of personal, environmental, and social issues. His personal work expresses self-depression and fragile feelings from the loss of family members which could resonate with other people who experience similar issues. His other strand of work concerns social oppression, social justice, and human rights, including the problems generated by urbanization and environmental degradation such as eviction, land right, and pollutions (water, air, noise, and light).

Kanel has participated in a number of workshops with local and international artists on photography, moving images, and performance. His work has been exhibited widely in Cambodia and regionally. His solo exhibition is Staircases, Java Touk Kork, Phnom Penh (2018); Bricks, Photo Phnom Penh Festival (2017). His moving images/film screened for Cultural Season 2023 is Pineapple Eyes III, IFC Cinema, Phnom Penh (2023). Select recent group exhibitions and performances include Looking at Cambodia, Air Gallery, Photo Phnom Penh Festival (2023); Les Restes des Restes, French Institute Gallery, Phnom Penh;  Pineapple Eyes II, Art Fair Philippines (2021); Pineapple Eyes II, Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize Winners Exhibition (2021), Singapore; Soft Opening Celebration and Fundraiser of STP (Silapak Trotchaek Pneik 2021), Sa Sa Fundraising Auction & Exhibition (2020), Phnom Penh 40 years (2020), Riverside Walk-way; Future Light (2019), Futures Factory, Phnom Penh; Immerse (2018), Sa Sa Art Projects; Plastic Kingdom (2018), Meta House, Phnom Penh; Being No one and Going Nowhere (2018), Festival Tokyo, Tokyo; We Will Have Been Young (2017-2020), Ah Hla That Gallery, Yangon; River City, Bangkok; Deutsches Haus, Ho Chi Ming; Matca, Hanoi; Basis, Frankfurt; Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur; Mabini Projects, Manila; Komunitas Salihara, Jakarta; NU Art Sculpture Park, Bandung; Objectifs - Centre for Photography and Film, Singapore; Hin Bus, Penang; Body of Sorrow (2018) - Performance, Sa Sa Art Projects, Phnom Penh; and ‘Remains,’ pop up exhibition (2018), Kon Leng Khnhom, Phnom Penh; 

Kanel is a recipient of Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize Winners 2021, Dam Dos Mobility Grant 2019, the Creative Generation Award 2018 from Java, and Best Performance Award 2018 (with collaborator YON Davy) from the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.