Mattaya Fitts was a SEA Roots, Khmer Language student in Spring 2023
"My personal goals in doing this project are to apply some of the knowledge I have learned as a result of taking this Beginner Khmer language class. I want to demonstrate this knowledge in a way that is visual, hence my decision to create a time lapse of an aspect of Khmer Culture, the Apsara. I want to share some knowledge about what an Apsara is and the significance of the Apsara in Khmer Culture, both as a dance and as a cultural figure. Once the program is over, I will continue to practice the skill I have learned in order to learn more about Khmer Culture."
About Mattaya
Mattaya Fitts is a visual artist born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, whose practice encompasses painting, drawing, and photography within a studio and mural discipline. With a conceptual and figurative approach, Mattaya depicts life in a multi-layered way, inviting the viewer to interpret the work through a lens informed by personal narrative, metaphor, and nature. Her artworks demonstrate how life around us extends beyond its own subjective limits by merging several seemingly incompatible worlds into a fantastical universe.
For more information on SEA Roots Language Workshops, check out our program page.