Cambodian artists are celebrating Khmer New Year with the free exhibit “My Soul of Gold” at Xia Gallery & Cafe in St. Paul, Minnesota, running through April 27, 2025. The show features portraits of cyclo drivers and elders by photographer Hao Taing, paintings by Cambodian American artist Sara Gregor, and traditional wedding dresses, all exploring themes of heritage, war, and displacement. Inspired by kintsugi, the exhibit uses art to “fill in the cracks” left by the Khmer Rouge regime and historical erasure. Separately, documentary photographer Drew Arrieta is debuting “Infinite Bonds” at Resource gallery in Minneapolis, blending photography, audio, and personal objects to explore intimate relationships.
The exhibit matters because it amplifies underrepresented Cambodian voices in the Twin Cities art scene, using visual art to preserve cultural memory and address intergenerational trauma from the Khmer Rouge era. By centering elders and everyday figures like cyclo drivers, the show challenges stereotypes and asserts the dignity of those often overlooked. It also highlights the role of community galleries like Xia Gallery & Cafe in fostering diasporic artistic expression and cross-cultural dialogue.