Fonki was born in France and raised in Canada, but his family is part of the Cambodian diaspora that fled the country during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in the 1970s. Already an acclaimed street artist in Montreal, he traveled to Phnom Penh several times, drawn by its creative renaissance and a desire to understand the country for himself, before settling there in 2017. Fonki’s street art makes for a fascinating primer of Cambodia’s history and culture—he incorporates architectural motifs, traditional script, and legends into large-scale works and portraits.
This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.
In full: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/cambodia-fonki-locals-guide
