For many artists, art is a way to express themselves and share their creativity with the world. For Diana Houl, art also became a bridge that connected her to her family history and her Cambodian roots. 

Diana Houl is a half-Swiss, half-Cambodian tattoo artist and painter from Switzerland. Her artistic inspirations come from old-school tattoos, nature, flowers, bright colors, and representations of Buddhist goddesses. Six years ago, she began focusing on her artistic career, working as a tattoo artist while also creating murals for restaurants, houses, cafés, and other public spaces. 

Photo Credit: Soun Alexander

In 2025, Diana joined the S’Art Urban Art Festival as one of the 12 selected muralists in the festival’s very first international mural competition. While the competition gave her an opportunity to showcase her artistic talent, it also gave her something much more meaningful: the chance to visit Cambodia for the first time and reconnect with her family’s heritage.

A Journey Back to Her Father’s Homeland 

Diana’s father is a Cambodian survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime who left Cambodia for Switzerland when he was young. Since leaving the country, he has never had the opportunity to return. Growing up, Diana only heard stories about Cambodia from her father, stories that sparked her curiosity about Khmer culture, history, and the country where part of her identity comes from. 

When she discovered the S’Art Mural Competition, Diana saw it as a unique opportunity. Thanks to the competition, she was able to travel to Cambodia for the first time, explore her father’s homeland, and present her artwork to Cambodian audiences. 

During her visit, Diana experienced Cambodia through her own eyes for the first time. Beyond painting her mural in Battambang, she spent time learning more about the country’s history, culture, and people. The journey became both an artistic and personal experience that helped her feel closer to her roots.

Bringing Khmer Culture into Her Artwork 

For the competition, Diana created a mural titled “The Apsara and Her Tiger.” 

The artwork was inspired by Khmer culture and her own Cambodian heritage. At the center of the mural stands a traditional Apsara dancer surrounded by a bouquet of chrysanthemums, while a protective tiger rests around her shoulders, symbolizing strength, grace, and spiritual guardianship. 

Photo Credit: Soun Alexander

As someone who loves drawing goddesses and works professionally as a tattoo artist, Diana incorporated her personal artistic style into the mural. The artwork beautifully combines elements of mural painting and tattoo art, creating a piece that feels both personal and culturally meaningful. 

The S’Art Mural Competition was the first mural competition of its kind in Cambodia and one of the main highlights of the S’Art Urban Art Festival 2025.

The 2025 edition of the festival was made possible through the generous support of the TUI Care Foundation. The festival’s theme, “Colourful Cultures,” aligned perfectly with the TUI Colourful Cultures Programme, which celebrates cultural diversity and encourages meaningful connections between people through arts and culture. 

The competition attracted more than 100 applications from artists across 39 countries around the world. After a careful selection process, only 12 emerging muralists were chosen to travel to Battambang and create their artworks as part of the festival. 

Photo Credit: Soun Alexander

What makes the competition especially meaningful is that the selected murals become part of Battambang’s public space. The artworks will remain on display for two years until the next edition of the festival, allowing local residents and visitors to enjoy the murals and learn more about the artists and their creative stories. 

Credit: Graphic by BunSetharath Boun (Jasmine)

In addition, the top three winners receive cash prizes and are promoted throughout the festival, providing valuable exposure for emerging artists from around the world. 

The mural competition was proudly supported by Nippon Paint Cambodia, whose sponsorship helped make the competition possible and encouraged talented artists to showcase their creativity in Battambang. 

The artworks were carefully evaluated by a professional panel of five judges, together with online votes from the public. The judging criteria included creativity, authenticity, artistic quality, and technical execution. 

The judging panel consisted of

Credit: Graphic by BunSetharath Boun (Jasmine)

Among the 12 talented artists, Diana Houl’s mural captured the attention of both the judges and the public, earning her First Place in the competition. 

She was followed by Oceane Decroze (France and Spain) in Second Place and Hoey Karona in Third Place.

Credit: Graphic by BunSetharath Boun (Jasmine)

Her mural received a great deal of appreciation from visitors for its unique visual style, strong composition, and distinctive artistic signature, making it one of the most memorable artworks of the festival. 

A Gift Back to the Community 

What happened after the competition made Diana’s story even more special. 

Despite winning the competition’s cash prize, Diana decided to donate the entire amount back to Phare Ponleu Selpak. 

Photo Credit: Soun Alexander

During her time in Battambang, she was deeply touched by Phare’s mission and the organization’s commitment to supporting thousands of children and young people through arts education every year. Her generous donation was a meaningful gesture of appreciation and support for the work being carried out by the Phare community. 

We are truly grateful for her kindness and generosity. 

Photo Credit: Soun Alexander

Art as a Bridge to Identity 

Diana’s story reminds us that art can be much more than a creative practice. It can help people reconnect with their history, discover their identity, and build meaningful connections across generations and cultures. 

Although she traveled thousands of kilometers from Switzerland to Cambodia, her journey shows that sometimes art can lead us back to where our story began. 

SOUN Alexander

SOUN Alexander is a Communications Assistant focusing on events at Phare Ponleu Selpak. He enjoys creating content and exploring creative ideas to promote Phare’s festivals and share the organization’s impact. In his free time, he likes producing content about Battambang’s local food, tourist destinations, and lifestyle. He is also interested in world history and climate change.

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