Chicago — March 26th — The Pari Project and Chicago Photography Center are pleased to present Cambodia's Women: On the Other Side of Hope at the Photo Center. Opening Friday, April 6th from 7 to 9pm. The show features photographs by award-winning Chicago photojournalist José Moré. The exhibition will remain on display through April 31st.
In October 2011, José Moré travelled to Cambodia for 2 weeks to document the work being done by various NGOs. The resultant photos show a society in flux and experiencing tumultuous change. No group is more affected than Cambodia's women, who are being called upon to re-identify themselves, create a new future, and defy the odds.
The photos focus on women whose stories represent Cambodia's past and present. There's Lem, who was trafficked as an underage minor and spent her formative years working in the sex industry. Rescued by an NGO called Transitions Global, she's now using photography to tell her story, and express her emotions.
The photos also focus on Srey Ma, who was a classically trained musician when the genocidal Khmer Rouge wiped away all forms of art and culture, and sent those with any education to work camps in rural areas. Now supported by an NGO called Cambodian Living Arts, she teaches traditional musical instruments to a younger generation in hopes that an ancient art form is not permanently lost.
The exhibition is designed to raise awareness and spark debate about global development issues amongst Chicagoans as the city prepares to host the NATO Summit in May.
The Cambodian Association of Illinois will provide traditional dance and music performances.
About José Moré
José Moré, formerly a Chicago Tribune staff photographer, has covered news, features and sports assignments in Chicago and around the world for 28 years. His assignments have included: post-9/11 developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan, civil war in Congo, civil strife in Central America, crises in the Middle East, and earthquakes in Mexico City, Guatemala and Armenia.
José was an integral member of the Tribune's team that won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for "Gateway to Gridlock,'' a series on air-traffic congestion. For exposing a human trafficking network supplying labor to rebuild Iraq, he shared the 2005 George Polk award for international reporting. He also won four Peter Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club and four annual awards for photographic excellence from the Tribune.
About the Pari Project
Launched in 2008 and based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, The Pari Project is a social enterprise providing Creative and Best Practice consultancy services exclusively to NGOs and social enterprises. At the intersection between profit and social good, Pari seeks to empower organizations that 'believe in better'. Combining creativity, innovation, collaboration, and transparency, our services equip partners with the tools they need to achieve financial and organizational sustainability, while powerfully communicating their impact. www.thepariproject.com/theothersideofhope
About the Chicago Photography Center, 3301 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
The CPC aims to foster a broad community of photographers who practice and appreciate the art of photography by offering a variety of classes and exhibition activities; sustaining a corps of volunteers; sharing cameras with overlooked and underserved communities; and providing a vibrant, welcoming environment in which all this happens. The CPC offers a wide range of classes and boot camps for both the digital and film photographer. For more info: www.chicagophoto.org
