Boramie Sao’s art embodies a cultural heritage that has been preserved for generations, a deep reverence for the environment and an innate need to create honest work that reflects one’s truest self. Sao is a Cambodian-American artist based in Taos, New Mexico. She subtly tells stories of specific places and times by using symbols, colors, organic forms and textures. Her work ties cultural symbolism to her observations of her natural surroundings, creating synergy between the landscapes of New Mexico’s deserts and her parents’ shrines to the Golden Age of Cambodia.
Sao’s diptych “A Dark Night of the Soul” will be on view at the Georgia Museum of Art this semester. It consists of two abstract paintings, one dark and one light. The museum acquired “A Dark Night of the Soul, Pt. 1 (Lightness)” in 2023. Simchowitz Gallery, in Los Angeles, is lending “A Dark Night of the Soul, Pt. 2 (Darkness)” to the upcoming exhibition “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders.” “Lightness” will be on display just outside that exhibition. The mirror images contain forms that are in simultaneous conflict and harmony with one another, echoing the contrast and symmetry of the phases of the moon. Sao’s name translates to “full moon” in Khmer, and she often looks to the moon as a guiding light.
“We, Too, Are Made of Wonders” explores humanity’s collective response to the sky, outer space and the universe by highlighting visual art and poetry from around the world and throughout the ages. The featured artists and poets encourage viewers to be curious, engage with a sense of wonder at the world and find belonging in the vast universe.
Sao’s diptych suggests themes of movement and transformation, likening the transformation of oneself to the phases of the moon. The artist imbues her musings about the stars and the sky with culturally connected symbolism. She uses colors, values and organic forms to demonstrate how the universe may be a source of inspiration and introspection while leaving room for the viewer’s imagination.
On January 24 at 4 p.m. Sao will join Kathryn Hill, associate curator of modern and contemporary art, and Ciel Rodriguez, curatorial assistant in contemporary art and curator of “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders,” for a conversation on her painting practice and the influence of poetry, place and landscape on her art. The artist talk is part of the museum’s Community Open House and will be followed by an opening reception for “Wonders.”
Authored by:
Nabiha Rahman
