William Graef (born 1957)
Blingcap #1, undated
Epoxy resin and white Rice
16 x 2 ½ in. (40.6 x 6.4 cm) diameter
Courtesy of the artist, New York, New York

Blingcap #1, #2, and #3 record the ongoing societal changes occurring in Phnom Penh. In his artist’s statement William Graef writes, “Outside the capital of Cambodia, animal driven wooden carts are still common, in stark contrast to the recent bombardment of luxury automobiles that have become omnipresent inside the city. The prestige of a tricked out ‘ride’ gives one ‘big face’, the ever important role of keeping up with the Joneses even as most of the population still survives hand to mouth. Wheel covers cast in rice, the Asian dietary staple, bring to light the contradictions of an impoverished culture that is emerging from tragedy and entering a rapidly changing environment. Displayed like collectable porcelain dish ware, they question the very wants and needs of a developing nation experiencing an economic bonanza infused with an onslaught of Western values.” William Graef attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.