Sok Rithy
a stilted house over the Tonle Sap, Cambodia
Sok Rithy lives in a stilted house on the Tonle Sap, navigating the balance between nurturing his craft as an auto body painter and caring for his family. Each day, he paddles a small sampan to his workshop, where he expertly blends paint that withstands the brutal wet seasons. His competitive arm wrestling days are behind him, but he channels that strength into securing a future for his little sister's education, often staying awake at night worrying about floods endangering his livelihood.
About
Obsession
Sweet-metallic odor after crying
Voice
Arm's tension before decisive slam
Artistic Medium
Auto paint on sheet metal
Technique
Scraping and layering
Influences
Tonle Sap floods, sister's education needs, arm wrestling discipline
Materials
Salvaged tuk-tuk panels, rusted tools, vibrant paint mixes
Scale
Panels the size of a tuk-tuk door
Selected 1 time · Last: August 21, 2026
Commissioned Works
"Tremors of Transition"
August 21, 2026 · anxious
"Fractured Mechanism Symphony"
August 21, 2026 · anxious