Biography
English
Sopheak Sam (b. Khao-I-Dang, Thailand) is a Cambodian-American queer artist, writer, and researcher whose sensuous and spatial interventions distill postwar intimacies. Their expansive practice traces the afterlives and afterimages of refugeehood to grapple with fragmentary memories, histories, and spaces.
Often taking shape as room-scale, mixed media installations, their interdisciplinary work incorporates painting, sculpture, video, bookmaking, writing, and ephemera. Their research is autoethnographic and informed by decolonial methodologies at the interstices of affect and trauma theory (particularly in relation to materiality, temporality, and embodiment), queer theory, critical refugee studies, new media, and vernacular Buddhism. Their research inquiry reframes how we might view queer/Asian/diaspora within multiple entangled intellectual genealogies, political formations, and relational socialities.
Sam recieved the Artadia Award (Boston, 2025), the US Fulbright Scholarship (Thailand, 2022-23), Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (Khmer/Cambodia, 2024-25), Cornell Council for the Arts Grants, the Helen Swank Research Fellowship (2024), the John Hartell Graduate Award for Art (2023), and has exhibited across the US, UK, and Southeast Asia. Sam holds an MFA from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Sam’s family arrived in the US in 1992 as sponsored refugees. They grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts*, attended Lowell Public Schools, and is the second-youngest of nine siblings. They are currently based in Lowell* and Boston, Massachusetts.
(they/he/she/any pronouns)
CV ︎︎︎
Sopheak Sam (b. Khao-I-Dang, Thailand) is a Cambodian-American queer artist, writer, and researcher whose sensuous and spatial interventions distill postwar intimacies. Their expansive practice traces the afterlives and afterimages of refugeehood to grapple with fragmentary memories, histories, and spaces.
Often taking shape as room-scale, mixed media installations, their interdisciplinary work incorporates painting, sculpture, video, bookmaking, writing, and ephemera. Their research is autoethnographic and informed by decolonial methodologies at the interstices of affect and trauma theory (particularly in relation to materiality, temporality, and embodiment), queer theory, critical refugee studies, new media, and vernacular Buddhism. Their research inquiry reframes how we might view queer/Asian/diaspora within multiple entangled intellectual genealogies, political formations, and relational socialities.
Sam recieved the Artadia Award (Boston, 2025), the US Fulbright Scholarship (Thailand, 2022-23), Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (Khmer/Cambodia, 2024-25), Cornell Council for the Arts Grants, the Helen Swank Research Fellowship (2024), the John Hartell Graduate Award for Art (2023), and has exhibited across the US, UK, and Southeast Asia. Sam holds an MFA from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Sam’s family arrived in the US in 1992 as sponsored refugees. They grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts*, attended Lowell Public Schools, and is the second-youngest of nine siblings. They are currently based in Lowell* and Boston, Massachusetts.
(they/he/she/any pronouns)
CV ︎︎︎
ជីវប្រវត្តិ
សំ សុភ័ក្រ្ត កើតនៅប្រទេសថៃបច្ចុប្បន្នរស់នៅនិងធ្វើការនៅប្រទេសអាមេរិក។ សិល្បករខ្មែរអាមេរិកាំងរូបនេះ ធ្វើការងារពហុជំនាញដែលស្វែងយល់ពីការប៉ះពាល់ក្រោយសង្គ្រាម ។ ដំណើរនៃការរុករករបស់គាត់គឺផ្សារភ្ជាប់រវាងប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រនិងការប្រើប្រាស់វត្ថុធាតុដើមដើម្បីចងចាំពីអតីតកាល។ ការងាររបស់គាត់តាមដានពីភាពខ្វៀរក្នុងបដិបទខ្មែរ ដែលទាក់ទងពីការផ្សារភ្ជាប់ការចងចាំនិងការប៉ងប្រាថ្នាអ្វីមួយ។ តសុភ័ក្រគឺជាអតីតនិស្សិតស្រាវជ្រាវអាមេរិកកាំង Fulbright នៅប្រទេសថៃពីឆ្នាំ ២០២២ទៅ ២០២៣ ដែលគឺជាឆ្នាំដែលគាត់បានទៅជំរុំជនភៀសខ្លួននៅឯខៅអ៊ីដាង លើកដំបូងតាំងពីតូចមក។ គាត់បានបញ្ចប់សិក្សាថ្នាក់បរិញ្ញាបត្រផ្នែកសិល្បៈនៅ មហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ MassArt ហើយបច្ចុប្បន្នបានរៀនបានបញ្ចប់ថ្នាក់បញ្ញាបត្រនៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យ Cornell ។ គាត់ធំឡេីងនៅរដ្ឋ Massachusetts និងជាកូនពៅទីពីរក្នុងចំណោមបងប្អូនប្រាំបួននាក់។
ชีวประวัติ
สุภักตร์ ส้ม (เกิดในประเทศไทย; อาศัยและทำงานในสหรัฐอเมริกา) เป็นศิลปินสหวิทยาการชาวกัมพูชาที่เติบโตในอเมริกา งานของเขาสำรวจผลกระทบ จากความสัมพันธ์หลังสงคราม โดยกระบวนการสร้างสรรค์ของเขาใช้วัสดุและความงามทางประวัติศาสตร์เพื่อตั้งคำถามเกี่ยวกับวิธีการที่เราระลึกถึงอดีตและการแสดงออกถึงความเป็นเควียร์ในอัตลักษณ์เขมร ผลงานของเขามักมีลักษณะทางกายภาพที่เชื่อมโยงกับความปรารถนาและความทรงจำ ส้มได้รับทุนวิจัย Fulbright จากสหรัฐอเมริกาไปยังประเทศไทยระหว่างปี 2022 ถึง 2023 ซึ่งเขาได้กลับไปที่ค่ายผู้ลี้ภัยอีด่างเป็นครั้งแรก เขาสำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีศิลปศาสตร์ (BFA) สาขาศิลปะสตูดิโอจาก MassArt และกำลังศึกษาในระดับบัณฑิตศึกษาที่มหาวิทยาลัย Cornell เขาเติบโตในรัฐแมสซาชูเซตส์และเป็นบุตรคนที่สองในจำนวนพี่น้องทั้งหมดเก้าคนในครอบครัว
Acknowledgments
Photo by Mel Taing; Khmer translation by Sovanchandy Mao; Thai translation by Achariyar Rojanapirom
*Lowell is the original homelands of the Pennacook communities, including the Pawtucket Village and Wamesit Village.
សំ សុភ័ក្រ្ត កើតនៅប្រទេសថៃបច្ចុប្បន្នរស់នៅនិងធ្វើការនៅប្រទេសអាមេរិក។ សិល្បករខ្មែរអាមេរិកាំងរូបនេះ ធ្វើការងារពហុជំនាញដែលស្វែងយល់ពីការប៉ះពាល់ក្រោយសង្គ្រាម ។ ដំណើរនៃការរុករករបស់គាត់គឺផ្សារភ្ជាប់រវាងប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រនិងការប្រើប្រាស់វត្ថុធាតុដើមដើម្បីចងចាំពីអតីតកាល។ ការងាររបស់គាត់តាមដានពីភាពខ្វៀរក្នុងបដិបទខ្មែរ ដែលទាក់ទងពីការផ្សារភ្ជាប់ការចងចាំនិងការប៉ងប្រាថ្នាអ្វីមួយ។ តសុភ័ក្រគឺជាអតីតនិស្សិតស្រាវជ្រាវអាមេរិកកាំង Fulbright នៅប្រទេសថៃពីឆ្នាំ ២០២២ទៅ ២០២៣ ដែលគឺជាឆ្នាំដែលគាត់បានទៅជំរុំជនភៀសខ្លួននៅឯខៅអ៊ីដាង លើកដំបូងតាំងពីតូចមក។ គាត់បានបញ្ចប់សិក្សាថ្នាក់បរិញ្ញាបត្រផ្នែកសិល្បៈនៅ មហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ MassArt ហើយបច្ចុប្បន្នបានរៀនបានបញ្ចប់ថ្នាក់បញ្ញាបត្រនៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យ Cornell ។ គាត់ធំឡេីងនៅរដ្ឋ Massachusetts និងជាកូនពៅទីពីរក្នុងចំណោមបងប្អូនប្រាំបួននាក់។
ชีวประวัติ
สุภักตร์ ส้ม (เกิดในประเทศไทย; อาศัยและทำงานในสหรัฐอเมริกา) เป็นศิลปินสหวิทยาการชาวกัมพูชาที่เติบโตในอเมริกา งานของเขาสำรวจผลกระทบ จากความสัมพันธ์หลังสงคราม โดยกระบวนการสร้างสรรค์ของเขาใช้วัสดุและความงามทางประวัติศาสตร์เพื่อตั้งคำถามเกี่ยวกับวิธีการที่เราระลึกถึงอดีตและการแสดงออกถึงความเป็นเควียร์ในอัตลักษณ์เขมร ผลงานของเขามักมีลักษณะทางกายภาพที่เชื่อมโยงกับความปรารถนาและความทรงจำ ส้มได้รับทุนวิจัย Fulbright จากสหรัฐอเมริกาไปยังประเทศไทยระหว่างปี 2022 ถึง 2023 ซึ่งเขาได้กลับไปที่ค่ายผู้ลี้ภัยอีด่างเป็นครั้งแรก เขาสำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีศิลปศาสตร์ (BFA) สาขาศิลปะสตูดิโอจาก MassArt และกำลังศึกษาในระดับบัณฑิตศึกษาที่มหาวิทยาลัย Cornell เขาเติบโตในรัฐแมสซาชูเซตส์และเป็นบุตรคนที่สองในจำนวนพี่น้องทั้งหมดเก้าคนในครอบครัว
Acknowledgments
Photo by Mel Taing; Khmer translation by Sovanchandy Mao; Thai translation by Achariyar Rojanapirom
*Lowell is the original homelands of the Pennacook communities, including the Pawtucket Village and Wamesit Village.
Biography
Photo Credit: Mel Taing
Sopheak Sam (b. Khao-I-Dang, Thailand) is a Cambodian-American queer artist, writer, and researcher whose sensuous and spatial interventions distill postwar intimacies. Their expansive practice traces the afterlives and afterimages of refugeehood to grapple with fragmentary memories, histories, and spaces.
Often taking shape as room-scale, mixed media installations, their interdisciplinary work incorporates painting, sculpture, video, bookmaking, writing, and ephemera. Their research is autoethnographic and informed by decolonial methodologies at the interstices of affect and trauma theory (particularly in relation to materiality, temporality, and embodiment), queer theory, critical refugee studies, new media, and vernacular Buddhism. Their research inquiry reframes how we might view queer/Asian/diaspora within multiple entangled intellectual genealogies, political formations, and relational socialities.
Sam recieved the Artadia Award (Boston, 2025), the US Fulbright Scholarship (Thailand, 2022-23), Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (Khmer/Cambodia, 2024-25), Cornell Council for the Arts Grants, the Helen Swank Research Fellowship (2024), the John Hartell Graduate Award for Art (2023), and has exhibited across the US, UK, and Southeast Asia. Sam holds an MFA from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Sam’s family arrived in the US in 1992 as sponsored refugees. They grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts*, attended Lowell Public Schools, and is the second-youngest of nine siblings. They are currently based in Lowell and Boston, MA.
(they/he/she/any pronouns)
ជីវប្រវត្តិ
សំ សុភ័ក្រ្ត កើតនៅប្រទេសថៃបច្ចុប្បន្នរស់នៅនិងធ្វើការនៅប្រទេសអាមេរិក។ សិល្បករខ្មែរអាមេរិកាំងរូបនេះ ធ្វើការងារពហុជំនាញដែលស្វែងយល់ពីការប៉ះពាល់ក្រោយសង្គ្រាម ។ ដំណើរនៃការរុករករបស់គាត់គឺផ្សារភ្ជាប់រវាងប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រនិងការប្រើប្រាស់វត្ថុធាតុដើមដើម្បីចងចាំពីអតីតកាល។ ការងាររបស់គាត់តាមដានពីភាពខ្វៀរក្នុងបដិបទខ្មែរ ដែលទាក់ទងពីការផ្សារភ្ជាប់ការចងចាំនិងការប៉ងប្រាថ្នាអ្វីមួយ។ តសុភ័ក្រគឺជាអតីតនិស្សិតស្រាវជ្រាវអាមេរិកកាំង Fulbright នៅប្រទេសថៃពីឆ្នាំ ២០២២ទៅ ២០២៣ ដែលគឺជាឆ្នាំដែលគាត់បានទៅជំរុំជនភៀសខ្លួននៅឯខៅអ៊ីដាង លើកដំបូងតាំងពីតូចមក។ គាត់បានបញ្ចប់សិក្សាថ្នាក់បរិញ្ញាបត្រផ្នែកសិល្បៈនៅ មហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ MassArt ហើយបច្ចុប្បន្នបានរៀនបានបញ្ចប់ថ្នាក់បញ្ញាបត្រនៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យ Cornell ។ គាត់ធំឡេីងនៅរដ្ឋ Massachusetts និងជាកូនពៅទីពីរក្នុងចំណោមបងប្អូនប្រាំបួននាក់។
ชีวประวัติ
สุภักตร์ ส้ม (เกิดในประเทศไทย; อาศัยและทำงานในสหรัฐอเมริกา) เป็นศิลปินสหวิทยาการชาวกัมพูชาที่เติบโตในอเมริกา งานของเขาสำรวจผลกระทบ จากความสัมพันธ์หลังสงคราม โดยกระบวนการสร้างสรรค์ของเขาใช้วัสดุและความงามทางประวัติศาสตร์เพื่อตั้งคำถามเกี่ยวกับวิธีการที่เราระลึกถึงอดีตและการแสดงออกถึงความเป็นเควียร์ในอัตลักษณ์เขมร ผลงานของเขามักมีลักษณะทางกายภาพที่เชื่อมโยงกับความปรารถนาและความทรงจำ ส้มได้รับทุนวิจัย Fulbright จากสหรัฐอเมริกาไปยังประเทศไทยระหว่างปี 2022 ถึง 2023 ซึ่งเขาได้กลับไปที่ค่ายผู้ลี้ภัยอีด่างเป็นครั้งแรก เขาสำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีศิลปศาสตร์ (BFA) สาขาศิลปะสตูดิโอจาก MassArt และกำลังศึกษาในระดับบัณฑิตศึกษาที่มหาวิทยาลัย Cornell เขาเติบโตในรัฐแมสซาชูเซตส์และเป็นบุตรคนที่สองในจำนวนพี่น้องทั้งหมดเก้าคนในครอบครัว
Acknowledgments
Khmer translation by Sovanchandy Mao
Thai translation by Achariyar Rojanapirom
*Lowell is the original homelands of the Pennacook communities, including the Pawtucket Village and Wamesit Village.
