Exhibitions

Nak Bou

Water Shop

Nak Bou’s multimedia paintings tell a story that is inherently American by juxtaposing cultural material he observed while growing up in the Cambodian enclaves of Dallas, TX, and Fresno, CA.

A colorful collage featuring elements from 1993, including a young boy, a womans portrait, a VHS tape, a retro 1993 sign, and a cowboy boot with Dallas, Texas. The background is a mix of patterns and vibrant colors.
Nak Bou. Green Impala, 2024. Acrylic and latex on canvas. 46 ½ x 60 inches
  • May 1 - 29, 2025
  • Opening: Thursday, May 1, 6:00 — 8:00pm

Water Shop explores Nak Bou’s childhood memories, inspired by the time he spent during the early 2000s in his father’s Fresno small business, a humble shop that sold filtered water alongside Khmer-dubbed Chinese martial arts dramas on VHS cassettes and Khmer karaoke DVDs. In his mixed media paintings, Bou reflects on his experiences helping his father run the shop with his siblings in a close-knit community. Through evocative symbolism and urban aesthetics, Bou composes intersections of heritage and lived experience.

Bou sources imagery from Khmer media and the vibrant, hand-painted storefronts of local businesses—hair salons, donut shops, grocers. In doing so, he captures the unique visual language of these small enterprises and references international design from the 1950s to the 1990s. Bou’s improvisational approach allows him to follow his intuition, creating works that uncover unexpected connections between his subject matter, a world in search of belonging, where the past and present intertwine in ways both familiar and unexpected.


Nak Bou. Pop’s Water Shop (polyptych), 2025. Acrylic and latex on canvas. 46 x 60 inches
Nak Bou. Salon Day, 2025. Acrylic and latex on canvas. 36 x 60 inches
 

About the Artist

Nak Bou is a multidisciplinary artist based in Renton, WA. His practice is rooted in mark-making, drawing inspiration from hand-painted signs and storefronts he encountered during his travels to India, Cambodia, and beyond. His compositions are largely improvised using a variety of media, including brushes, Montana spray cans, oil pastels, pens, watercolor, and airbrush. He studied Design | Media Arts at UCLA. In April 2024, Bou was commissioned by Nite Yun, chef and owner of Nyum Bai, to create a mural for her highly anticipated restaurant, Lunette, which was featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Noodles. Nite also commissioned him to provide illustrations for her upcoming cookbook, set for release in autumn 2025.