Background
Nhek Dim was born on February 12, 1934 in Reap village, Reap commune, Pea Reang District, in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia.
Nhek Dim was born on February 12, 1934 in Reap village, Reap commune, Pea Reang District, in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia.
He finished elementary school in 1949. There he studied "traditional painting". He graduated in 1954 and started to work at the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh.
From childhood he showed a remarkable talent in drawing, and he loved to paint. In 1957 he went for six months to the Philippines to draw and publish books From 1963 to 1967 he resided in the United States to study cartoon filmmaking.
Later, former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk asked him to make paintings to illustrate a book of songs written by the ex-King.
Occasionally he drew satirical cartoons that were published in several magazines. He owned his own gallery where he exhibited his old paintings and water colors.
Besides painting and drawing he was also the author of several novels, and composer of many songs. Nhek Dim died on December 16, 1978, as one more artist who didn"t survive the Khmer Rouge regime.
Nhek Dim"s works – sometimes realistic, sometimes more stylized – often depict traditional Cambodian landscapes, tourist sites like Angkor and Kampot"s Tek Chhou, and Khmer and native people.
He also painted many portraits of Cambodian popular stars, like Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron and Huoy Meas, for the covers of their records. He was especially skilled at painting remarkably lifelike people and their faces. Many of Nhek Dim"s paintings have been collected or photographed by Lors Chinda.
His publishing house published a book showing many of Nhek Dim"s works.