Kerie Salingua

Filipino Lips

Growing up with a Filipino identity led me into a unique linguistic realm, from silent lip gestures to festive mouths indulging in lechon. Despite my roots, fluency in my mother tongue eluded me, creating a speechless dialect, a common struggle among many first- and second-generation immigrant children. Embracing my dual identity as a Filipino Canadian, a journey that began when I immigrated nine years ago, marked my evolution toward acceptance.

In this cultural odyssey, I've crafted Filipino Lips, a testament to a language not bound by words but expressed through the art of reading lips. Within this series, "Look!" (left) captures the essence of Filipino communication—a subtle pucker, a silent directive, replacing words with graceful gestures. "Spoonful," (right) on the other hand, immortalizes the joy of shared moments, depicting my brother savouring a spoonful of rice and chicken adobo, a beloved Filipino dish.

These oil pieces encapsulate my early encounters with Filipino expressions, transcending language barriers. They echo the cherished ritual of pointing with lips, a universal sign among Filipinos, and the delight of communal feasting, uniting us all. Filipino Lips signifies that understanding culture goes beyond language; it resides in the unspoken nuances, the shared meals, and the silent connections that bind us together.

Artist Biography

Kerie Salingua is a Filipino artist who grew up in Dukhan, Qatar. Through the use of mediums such as oil, acrylic, watercolour, and chalk pastel, she uses art to express personal experiences. Her paintings follow themes of childhood, immigration, and the AAPI experience. Upon immigrating to Calgary in 2014, her love for both art and history has since developed, where she currently studies Art History at the University of Calgary.