Artwork: Bayon Angkor Wat, Tribute

. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .

Revisiting Bayon, Angkor Wat piece with an uplifting atmosphere, as a tribute to my grandfather, Lawrence, who recently passed at the ripe age of 100. He was a 2nd-generation Chinese born in Cambodia to a family of shipbuilders. In the 1970s, he escaped the Khmer Rouge genocide with nearly 20 other family members. After years in multiple refugee camps across Asia, a US military plane from Thailand brought them to the US. Lawrence then worked humbly as a janitor for the local Hotel Claremont. Following his retirement, Lawrence practiced and taught martial arts for 30 years, freely to anyone who had a desire to learn at the public parks by Lake Merritt Bart / Oakland Chinatown, eventually amassing 100 followers of different nationalities and was recognized by the city for his community service with a Citizen of the Year Award. Years later, when I told him that I was going to visit Cambodia, his eye glimmered with pride and excitement and I knew that his heart always remained there.