By Debra Roderick, Project Assistant –
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of April 17th, 1975, the beginning of the Khmer Rouge Genocide. Since visiting the killing fields at age 14, hearing stories during my missionary service, and now coming to the close of my time on this project, I am still struck by the horror that took place in that 4 year period. The experiences that the interviewees shared during my time as a project assistant have touched me in a profound way. I wept with them in their retellings and laughed with them as they shared funny stories about their childhood. These accounts are invaluable to their posterity and incredibly powerful for those who have the opportunity to hear or read their story on the COHP website. I feel privileged to have been able to learn from many interviewees firsthand.
Next week, I will be graduating with a BFA in Illustration here at BYU. These interviewees and their stories have inspired my illustrative work in multiple ways. I created this piece, titled “Shadows of Survival,” on 18 by 24 inch toned paper with black and white charcoal. It features one of our interviewees in Cambodia, Ouy Roety. Ouy Roety was born January 10th, 1969, in Kampong Speu as the eighth of ten children. In his interview he describes what conditions were like for him during the Khmer Rouge, including losing close relatives, and how his experience has affected him to the present.
This drawing shows a portrait of Ouy Roety overlaid with a scene from the Khmer Rouge period. I intentionally included figures as shadows over the portrait to represent his lost family members, with the main figure representing Roety as a young boy. Despite the difficulties of the past, I am in awe of the resilience and perseverance shown by these Khmer Rouge survivors and their hopeful outlook on life. In the portrait, Ouy Roety smiles in spite of his hardships. His past is a part of him, but he has overcome those shadows and recorded his story for future generations.
Working on this project with Dr. Bourgerie and the rest of the COHP team has felt like a beautiful extension of my mission and an incredible opportunity to continue serving the people and culture I’ve loved all my life. This has meant so much more to me than just a project, a student job, or a learning experience. It’s been the most important, the most impactful, and the most sacred thing I’ve done at BYU. Truly, this project has changed my life and blessed the lives of countless others.