These are the Times (In progress)
These are the Times, 2024. Acrylic latex on drywall Acrylic latex, Bà Ngoại’s and Bi’s threads, scarfs made in Cambodia and worn at the 2024 Khmer New Year Festival, vinyl photos of youth and community members who have found haven in Khmer Girls in Action, 15’H x 70’L
Location: Khmer Girls in Action, 2217 E 6th St, Long Beach, CA 90814
For Khmer Girls in Action with the support of Arts Council for Long Beach and California Arts Council
Projected date of completion: July 2024
In prayer for the youth in whose hands our future rests, that they might seek truth and therein garner the wisdom and strength with which to serve our communities.
Our yearlong partnership began in celebration with a beautiful new home for Khmer Girls in Action. Here, growth, inspiration, and fellowship continue to sprout. This mural honors the lives of our youth and the ones who lead with heart.
In considering the importance of moving in grace while confronting the injustices of the world, I was inspired by the words of cultural worker and activist Grace Lee Boggs. In her essay, she advocates for the philosophical and spiritual transformation that is needed to be effective agents of change, and calls for us to grow our souls.
For those of us who can no longer bear the unrighteousness that plagues our world, we recognize that these are indeed the times for change. These are the times to stand for what is right. The times for a true justice. The times for a rededicating of ourselves to the things that are truly important. The times to arise.
The towering lotuses sprout, blossom, and grow together with their feet rooted in the nourishment that is offered to them. Even in thick of mud, they rise to staggering heights. They look to the light to nurture them. They bring color into our world. They serve as shelter for the ones who need protection as they march toward future. These who walk confidently through adversity don their kramas, or traditional Khmer scarfs, with a deep respect for their heritage while marching through Long Beach’s own Cambodia Town. The kramas carry their history, having been made in Cambodia, stamped with the emblem of the motherland.
As we move upstream, we witness the winds carrying petals like good seed, carrying on tradition, story, the love for culture, and all that is good. The sun rises from the horizon, encompassing the ones who have stood together in solidarity as an act of courage and love. Here, the Mekong River converges into the Los Angeles River before surging into the harbors of the City of Long Beach, where Khmer Girls in Action first took root in 2002. We have garnered wisdom from these rivers; they only know to move forward and they have taught us to do the same.
This mural is dedicated to the ones who work diligently to cultivate the good change that serves the betterment of humanity in the name of true justice.
*My lungs fill with gratitude for the Khmer Girls in Action Family. Thank you for welcoming me into your home and for your generous hospitality. A special thanks to Maggie for her assiduous nature in bringing this project to life, to Alisha for her sewing help, to the young women with whom I’ve had the great privilege of working, and to the youth who continue to persistently seek out their place in the world.
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The projected completion date is Summer 2024. Here are some process photos:
