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Lisa Mam is a driven 22-year-old studying to be one of the Kingdom’s future dentists. But don’t be duped by her brains and poise – she’s one of Phnom Penh’s most notorious street artists.

For those unfamiliar with the urban trend, graffiti is art painted or sprayed in public areas.   

“I grew up sketching and painting all the time, since I was six years old,” Lisa Mam recalled.

She said that graffiti art is a natural talent, and in her case, a creative gene passed down by her parents.

In the past couple of years, Lisa Mam has hit a high-point with personal accomplishments. She made art pieces for a Cellcard XG commercial and Libiz Hotel, and has contributed her work to the Loy9 program and Phnom Penh in 2058 at the French Cultural Center.

“It wasn’t difficult for me,” she said.

“For me, it’s a natural process of using my imagination. It’s what I love to do.”

Lisa Mam’s work stands out from other graffiti because it’s easy to see how much talent she puts into the work as a painter and an artist.

“I do art work based on what I envision, and I don’t copy anything,” she added.

Outside of her work with graffiti art, Lisa Mam is also a local photographer and a full-time student at University of Health and Science.

In the future, she looks forward to balancing her art career with dentistry.