sopheap pich was born in battambang, cambodia (then known as the khmer republic) in 1971. he spent his childhood there until 1984, when he moved at age 13 to the united states of america. in 7th grade in the u.s., he enrolled into a school with a classroom setting and a teacher for the first time. he continued with his education at the university of massachusetts amherst, and in 2002 got his mfa at school of the art institute of chicago.