Lang Ea (born 1974) is a Cambodian-born multi-media artist who lives in Auckland, New Zealand. She creates installations and sculpture which tend to reflect political and social topics and has exhibited internationally.
Lang Ea was born in Battambang, Cambodia in 1974. When the Khmer Rouge fell in 1979, Lang's family fled Cambodia and spent the next three years in many different refugee camps in Thailand. In 1982, her family emigrated to New Zealand.
Lang attended and graduated from the Architecture and Design School at Victoria University, Wellington.
Lang's art is a reflection of the trauma of her childhood under the Khmer Rouge regime and places her amongst a generation of South Asian artists dealing with historical trauma and memory. Her works often address social issues. Her focus is on creating sculptures and installations, which are not standalone but spread across and connect to their environment.
A significant and well-awarded sculptural work for Lang is titled Beacon and was created to commemorate the New Zealand Women's suffrage. The sculpture is inspired by the Kate Sheppard quote: "We are tired of having a 'sphere' doled out to us, and of being told that anything outside that sphere is 'unwomanly'". Erected in the Milford Reserve, Auckland in 2020, the circular sculpture is made out of reflective stainless steel. The centre of the sculpture is shaped as a camellia and gives off a violet light, a colour which suffragettes adopted during their movement. The sculpture celebrates the legacy of the suffragettes and the violet light is intended to create hope for the future. The sculpture gained recognition and awards at the 2020 Best Design Awards and the 2021 Taipei International Design Awards.
Lang has exhibited domestically across New Zealand as well as internationally.