From his “Leaf” sets made in 2013 in his hometown of Takeo province. Since the school is too far away for children to be able to go by bike, most of them are forced to drop out of school very early. Therefore, they are forced to stay in the village and Sophal has hidden their faces behind large leaves to signify a loss. On the other hand, this set tells their deep connection with nature. This sets was then declined in Phnom Penh with the sets “Hang On” in which the photographer has hidden the faces of his models behind objects that signify their work, their social function. One way to ask if their identity is reduced to that. http://www.sophalneak.com/projects/leaf/