In 2021, my father suddenly passed away in Cambodia. It left my mother alone by herself, unable to return to the Netherlands because of the coronavirus lockdowns. Because of her position as a widow, and her illiteracy, she was unsafe, and so the time that followed was filled with our attempts to keep her safe until the borders reopened.

Sathu.studio is a self-coded online website which acts as a placeholder for four emails I wrote during this time, as well as digital drawings and collages I made. Because of the intimate nature of this story, I secured the website with a password, and sent those who requested it via postcard, with an original stamp.

This life-changing event forced me to truly look deeply within myself and ask me what kind of person and artist I truly wanted to be(come). Sathu.studio, for me, marks a deep change, where I started to holistically embrace my origins as a Khmer, my story as a refugee child and my ambition to create a beautiful life for myself and for others.