Comment by AlexD on 2009-01-02 17:44:34 These people that hate has nothing better to do than to hate. They always saying that us next-generation Khmers don't appreciate our culture, and when we represent Khmer, either through tattoos, hip hop, or graffiti and paintings, they say we're devaluing our culture or destroying Khmer culture.
They are just stuck in the old world. They are narrow-minded and stubborn and believes in only a few ways to represent Khmer and any other way is bad. I'm sick of these ultra-conservative Khmers. They are no better than Khmer Krahom since all they do is hate on modern society and wants everything back to the way it was 30+ years ago.
I support any medium that glorifies the Khmer culture and tells the whole world that we Cambodians exist. So keep doing what you do, and everyone else out there, REPRESENT and show the world that WE ARE KHMER!
Comment by songha on 2009-01-04 03:19:49 I hope you don't take the negative criticism as much. You're doing a wonderful job, and your work is incredibly BEAUTIFUL! If these people actually know the history of the Khmer people, they wouldn't say things like that. Honestly Khmer dancers were topless, until they were influence by the Thai people.
I really appreciate the comment left by Teeda on 2008-12-19 00:23:54...you do see them on our statues and sculptures on Khmer walls. I think some people need to study their own cultural history.
I'm glad your work shows the TRUE meaning of being Khmer, and how beautiful we really are! Your artwork does give me memories of the old Khmer fairy tales!
Please keep up the good work! YOU ARE VERY TALENTED!!!
~Your greatest fan
Comment by khmerican0211 on 2009-01-06 04:05:05 Dear reahu,
Please keep up with your creative and artistic mind. I love it. Don’t let those narrow-minded criticisms bother you. Stay strong and keep up with what you are doing. There are those in the Khmer history who had claimed they are nationalist and love Khmers, but killed Khmers instead. Pol Pot, Kiev Somphon, and Ieng Sary claimed that they are real nationalist and love Khmer too. But look what happened and Cambodia 1975 to 1979.
John
Comment by mblove on 2009-01-08 02:45:59 Hey Reahu,
I want to applaud you for your artistic works. Its beautiful. I was just reading about this in the Khmer newspaper a moment ago and didn't really understand what was wrong with it. I wonder if the writer of the article knows about Khmer's own history. Don't they know the Apsaras' you drew are accurate to what it would've been like if they were to be Apsaras' in the Angkorian time. People back then, both women and men didn't wear tops. What I find funny is the ignorant comments made in your enlighten me space of emails from people saying that it degrades our culture? What is that? Your drawings is not a downgrade to our culture at all, its only of the Apsaras' painted in colors instead of carved into the ancient walls and carved statues. You should address those who say your paintings are a disgrace to our culture to go back to learning the history of the Khmer people. Love your work by the way.
I want to write to the author of the article in the Khmer newspaper and tell him/her to go back to learn Khmer's history. Did they seriously not know that Apsaras' back in the days did not wear tops? Your work was just painted in colors.
I love and appreciate the few comments here from people who actually knows what our Khmer culture and history are really about. At least, there's still educated people that still knows our Khmer history and not just blindly believes what an article or person says.
-Ah nee.
Comment by mblove on 2009-01-08 02:53:00 Reply to AlexD's comment:
Dude, the "old world" you mention was actually more open-minded than the negative criticisms that is being made in the emails being sent to Reahu recently. That's the sad part. :( People nowadays are ignorant, close-minded, and way too conservative than the "old world".
P.S. Excuse my grammar and weird wordings in my previous comment. I didn't reread. :X
-Ah nee.
Comment by BongT on 2009-01-08 18:32:29 i want to read the article in which khmer news paper was in. can some body please give me link to the article plz. don't they have better things to write about in srok khmer beside this, we try to keep khmer art alive and this is what we get. why can't they write about how curruptions run the damn country, and ppl in srok khmer some don't even have a roof over their heads and food on their plates, to who ever thought that reahu art was downgrading our culture, can you please tell me what is the different between the carving on the wall of angkor and reahu's painting beside the vivid colors and the other is a carving. better yet invit the authur of article to tell us why. and shed some light on this.
Comment by Poupou on 2009-03-06 20:58:01 Je découvre votre site par K-Set qui raconte comment il a été bloqué par le gouvernement Cambodgien. Je ne sais pas quel a été la teneur des critiques adressées à votre site. S'il ces critiques se réfèrent à la nudité des Apsara, je trouve ça très puérile. Mais est-ce si étonnant ? Beaucoup de Cambodgiens sont très puritains vis à vis de la représentation du corps. Je suis de culture occidentale, alors celà ne me choque pas. Votre site est public et ces critiques sont le revers de la médaille. Il y aura toujours des gens qui n'aiment pas votre travail. Ou d'autres qui n'y sont pas sensibles tout simplement. Je suis de ceux là. Je trouve votre travail très bien faits mais ils ne m'accrochent pas. Je pense que ces Apsara sont vos fantasmes, qui ont d'ailleurs pris quelques libertés vis à vis de l'histoire, mais très bien comme ça. Tout le monde n'aime pas Picasso ou Georges de la Tour ou Gauguin. Finalement, ce n'est pas si grave. Continuez votre travail et continuez à croire en ce que vous faites. Je suis désolé d'écrire en Français mais je ne maîtrise pas assez l'Anglais pour l'écrire (même si je comprends assez bien). "best regards" Poupou
Comment by spicycakes on 2009-04-30 21:02:01 I actually agree with you REAHU. I believe we need to open are minds, otherwise we will be stuck. It is the 21st century you all. I can't blame Cambodians wanting to preserve their cultural views/morals but really there is no need to instigate. It is predictable to see them go overboard with this one. Art is expressing oneself or views. Is it so wrong being imaginative and putting it down on paper? Where is the harm in that? I think some of us are being hypocritical here.
Comment by BongT on 2009-05-04 18:21:20 as i recall the last time i was in the cambodian cultural village i believe i saw topless apsara, and topless ladies painting there too,...so what's the difference? did anybody said anything to them and they said it bad cause we get paid for this kind of work. all i can say is reahu get off your ass and give more things to talk about.
Comment by RodneySok on 2009-06-10 00:32:01 some people can only view from their own shoes... and they dont take the time to view it from another point of view.. some people are very closed minded.. being from the modeling world.. we pose nude all the time.. why?? because its art to the photographers.. its art to models.. but for people viewing it from the outside its pornographic.. it really all depends on how you view things.. for cambodians thinking that this art is disgraceful.. thinking that this art is bad... thinking that this art is not khmer.. you really have to go do some research about khmer history.. which a lot of cambodians dont have access to or just dont know where to go to learn about khmer history.. one.. we were the biggest empire that ever step foot on planet earth during the 14 century.. those were our golden ages... second.. apsaras are angels.. they came from heaven.. there suppose to look beautiful.. sexy.. and have a body of a goddess.. you know the story about how the apsaras came down from heaven right?? if you dont know.. go do some research.. be proud of who we are.. we are cambodians.. we are khmer.. were smart.. sexy.. beautiful.. intelligent.. artists.. musicians.. lawyers.. doctors.. historians.. and so on.. we have khmer blood running through our veins.. blood of our ancestor.. lets help re-unite our people and help re-rebuilt our Great Khmer Empire.........
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