Trendsetter: Meet Kannetha Brown

Photograph by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley

How did you first get involved in photography?

I grew up with hundreds of film photos around the house of me and my sister and photos my mom took on road trips when she first settled in the United States. My mom was taking these photos because a lot of Cambodian immigrants weren’t allowed to have photos during the Cambodian genocide. When she came to the U.S., she started taking photos because she didn’t have any from home and that taught me so much about how important photography is and how weird it is to not have a family archive. I try to photograph in a very intimate way because I understand that the photo is capturing a memory.

Do you dress up for shoots?

If it’s an editorial shoot, I try to be more fashionable but for my more serious documentary work, I’m less concerned about my appearance and more concerned about the other person’s comfort. Cambodian values are very different so I’m conscious about how I present myself when photographing elder people in my community.

How does being Buddhist influence how you dress?

In modern Buddhism, we’re less concerned about what we wear when we’re out of the temple, but when we’re in the temple we dress differently. When I go to temple I put on as much jewelry as possible because you kind of want to be blinged out.

How did growing up a Cambodian American in Barrington, a predominately white area, influence your photography?

The reason why I even photograph my community and my family on the Cambodian side is because I grew up in Barrington. Because I was so separated from that part of my identity, there were parts of me longing for that. I used my artwork as a way for me to connect more with family members or community members because there weren’t any people with that same background where I grew up.

What’s something you’ve observed about your Cambodian ancestors you’d like to incorporate into yourself?

We have about five family photos that survived the Cambodian war. There are two photos of my grandmother and her hair is styled in the most pristine way. I tend to give up on my hair, but I’d like to put in more effort like she did in that photo. When I go back to Cambodia soon, I want to do a traditional Apsara photoshoot, where they style your hair straight, flip it at the ends and place flowers all throughout. Hair is such an important part of style to me and connects me to so many different generations of women.

Did you ever deal with feeling like you had to be either fully American or Cambodian?

If so, what helped? I’ve always been so proud to be Cambodian because of the stories that my mom would tell us. She wouldn’t just tell the sad stories about growing up as a child in war, but she’d also tell us about the beauty of Cambodia. I remember Mattel put out a Cambodian Barbie and it was the most beautiful thing ever to me. I see this beautiful Barbie, but — especially when I was a teenager — I was trying so hard to fit in. The very first time I put on a Cambodian outfit was in 2022 and it felt like a homecoming in a way. Now I dress more feminine, and I really think it’s because when I was in Cambodia, I felt like a princess. So, despite me wanting to fit in at some points growing up, I always was so proud of my Cambodian side.

How do you honor your heritage when presenting yourself?

I have three Cambodian tattoos, and I will be getting more when I’m there [on a Fulbright scholarship]. One is traditional Sak Yant and is a protection spell. I’ve been getting tattoos since I was eighteen but I always wanted to experience the real thing with the bamboo and learn more about the process. As someone who appreciates and creates art, it felt so special, especially getting it done in Cambodia.