The late Cambodian artist Vann Nath is famous the world over for his depictions of Khmer Rouge torture scenes at Phnom Penh’s notorious S-21 Security Prison, where he was one of only seven survivors.
Many of Vann Nath's later works can be viewed here at his family’s Kith Eng Restaurant. There are no set hours, just drop by; his wife or his son-in-law (who speaks English) will usually let you in.
Vann Nath continued to paint vivid canvases of S-21 right up until his death in 2011; some of his most famous images are on display at the Tuol Sleng Museum. The Vietnamese brought him back to S-21 from 1980 to 1982 specifically to paint these. ‘We must think of the souls of those who died there,' Vann Nath told us in an interview not long before he passed away. 'These souls died without hope, without light, without a future. They had no life. So I paint my scenes to tell the world the stories of those who did not survive.’
In the wake of Vann Nath's death, fellow prisoners Chum Mey and Bou Meng are the last remaining survivors of S-21.
