FONKi

FONKi is a Cambodian/French-Canadian artist who grew up in Montreal and was born in 1990 in Paris, from khmer refugee parents.. At 15 years old, FONKi discovered graffiti and he gradually grew into one of Montreal’s most prominent figures in the city’s new generation of street artists. Upon relocating to Phnom Penh, FONKi is actively reviving an artistic renaissance in the streets of Cambodia, leading street art festivals and exhibitions through FT Gallery. Today, his work can be found across the world, from the U.S. and Mexico to Vietnam, Cambodia, and beyond.

Additional Artist Information

In 2005, FONKi started doing graffiti and began painting. His triple identity, accompanied by the universal language of art, makes him discover the world. His artistic approach shifted during the summer of 2012. FONKi co-produced and is the subject of the feature-length winning awards documentary entitled «The Roots Remain», which films his return to the land of his ancestors. He immerses himself in his heritage and discovers a Cambodia in full transition and leaves his mark by creating the very first khmer graffiti lettering kbach style; a blend of modernity and Cambodian ancestral art found in the frescoes of the ancient temples of the fabulous city of Angkor.

Now curator and owner of FT Gallery at Factory Phnom Penh and founder of Murals for Cambodia Festival, his team and him are carrying the mission to support new Cambodian talent as well as nurturing Phnom Penh’s international reputation as a vibrant cultural hub in SouthEast Asia. With the help of his various tools and through his different projects, FONKi is in constant search of the substantive marrow of our humanity which unites us all; of this passion and pure and raw love for life, in order to preserve his kid’s heart within him and keep the authenticity of his teenager’s spirit, from when he first picked up a spray paint.

Watch Video – Street artist FONKi takes us on a journey through Phnom Penh to share Cambodia’s artistic renaissance by CBC ARTS