Kim Hak

Country: Cambodia
Hak was born in Battambang and now lives and works in Cambodia. He obtained a diploma in Tourism at the National Institute of Management. Hak developed a passion for photography and participates in various workshops at the University of Kuala Lumpur, Angkor Photography Workshop with Antoine d’ Agata (Magnum Photos) & Arantxa Cedillo (Agence Cosmos), Studio Images of French Institute co-organized by Melon Rouge Agency in Phnom Penh, Photo Meeting of Stream Photo Asia in Bangkok with Giulio di Sturco, and the last recently masterclass workshop at National Museum of Singapore with Rebecca Noris Webb and Alex Webb (Magnum Photos). Hak joined Photo Phnom Penh 2010 and PHOTO QUAI in Paris 2011. His portfolio has been published internationally in ‘Images Magazine’ (France), ‘Libération’ (France), ‘Ojo de Pez’ (Spain), ‘Internazionale’ (Italy), and online professional websites of ‘La Lettre’ (France), ‘Invisible Photography Asia’ (Singapore) and also local news Phnom Penh Post. Hak was awarded international prize of “Artistic Creation Project 2011” by Musée du quai Branly in Paris. His work will be placed as private collection of the museum in 2013. In 2011, Hak started to share his photography knowledge with local Cambodian children by offering 2 workshops to street and deaf children of Kruosar Thmey, Phnom Penh and Anjali House, Siem Reap.

One night in 2000 Kim hung out with his teenage friends. After 12, it seemed he could not return home. They slept along the street in Siem Reap province. In 2006, one night, he went to see holy praying and performance at a Hindu temple in Bali. His hotel was behind the Monkey Jungle. That night, there was heavy rainfall and he could not pass the jungle as he could not see clearly. So, he decided to sleep at the courtyard of a shop alone. In 2011, he travelled for the first time to France. Kim saw there were some people sleeping in metro stations and along the streets. He questioned himself as well as relatives and friends who would live there “How can people sleep outside in the cold?” He was informed that many homeless people die during the winter months due to this. All of these encounters inspired Kim at the end of 2011, and he started to photograph sleeping people at Pak Klong Talad market in Bangkok. Through his photo series “After 12” in Phnom Penh, he learnt about other reasons for street people besides being homeless and poverty stricken. They are there due to family issues, being exiled, and violence.