Andrew Hem
ImagineFX|December 2019
Gang signs and agriculture: the Cambodian-American artist tells Gary Evans how his art was shaped by growing up between two very different cultures…
Andrew Hem
Andrew Hem’s first story is about growing up in the Los Angeles area in the late 80s and early 90s. Andrew copied the graffiti he saw on walls around his neighboured in Culver City. He thought one font in particular – big, blocky letters – looked really cool. so cool, in fact, that he once handed in homework in a schoolbook covered with his own replica of the font. He was 11. His teacher called him to the front of class. “Andrew,” the teacher said, “when did you become a gangster?” Andrew didn’t know his favourite graffiti belonged to a notorious, murderous gang called the Culver City 13.

His second story is about how everybody in Cambodia paints the same way. take, for example, paintings at Angkor Wat, one of the largest religious monuments in the world. they all look like they were done by one person, even though that would have been impossible. His parents are Cambodian – his father’s an artist – but Andrew didn’t learn to paint landscapes the traditional Cambodian way. He learned by studying Edgar Alwin Payne’s paintings of the American West. During a recent visit to Cambodia, he was painting outdoors in a style that was completely unfamiliar to the locals. He overheard people talking behind his back: “What kind of tree is that?”

His third story is about the Khmer Rouge. the regime ruled Cambodia for just four years, but was responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century, murdering around 25 per cent of the country’s population. Andrew’s parents fled and eventually settled in California in 1982. But Andrew was born in 1981, neither in Cambodia nor in America, but in Thailand.

Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE IMAGINEFXVer todo
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
ImagineFX

PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK

Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
ImagineFX

CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

We discover the early influences that inspired the artist

time-read
6 minutos  |
January 2025
ZBrush for iPad
ImagineFX

ZBrush for iPad

GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
BenQ GW2786TC
ImagineFX

BenQ GW2786TC

GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
ImagineFX

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 2025
DRAGON OFORCEC
ImagineFX

DRAGON OFORCEC

Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 2025
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX

DUNGEON MASTERS

ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration

time-read
7 minutos  |
January 2025
Erik Ly
ImagineFX

Erik Ly

Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 2025
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
ImagineFX

2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging

Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025