OH CANADA,

2023- ongoing


Oh, Canada is an extension of Anak ng Lupang Hinirang (Child of the Chosen Land), a series Khim Hipol began in 2021, in which he pairs his body with symbolic objects tied to Filipino national identity to explore his relationship to country and culture. In Oh Canada, he extends this body of work to include his experience as a Filipino-born artist living and working in Canada and someone who recently acquired Canadian citizenship. He embodies this experience by swathing himself—head covered, face obscured—with the Canadian flag, the ultimate symbol of national pride. By presenting the flag-draped rather than erect and obscuring this identity, Hipol subtly alludes to some problematic aspects of Canadian history, including its colonial history.