Filipino-Australian artist Kris Ancog explores displacement and belonging in Canberra solo show Yearning to Breathe Free

Kris Ancog's solo exhibition Yearning to Breathe Free, paintings inspired by refugees rebuilding their lives, opened at Aarwun Gallery in Nicholls on 15 October with the Philippine Embassy in attendance, and runs until 8 November.

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Filipino-Australian artist Kris Ancog is presenting a solo exhibition in Canberra that explores displacement, resilience and the search for belonging, the Philippine Times reported. Yearning to Breathe Free opened at Aarwun Gallery in Nicholls on 15 October and continues until Sunday 8 November.

The exhibition brings together paintings inspired by the experiences of refugees seeking safety and rebuilding their lives in unfamiliar places. Its title comes from The New Colossus, the Emma Lazarus poem associated with the Statue of Liberty. According to the Philippine Times, Ancog's paintings combine influences from Renaissance and Rococo art with contemporary abstraction, using colour, light and layered brushstrokes to create atmospheric scenes.

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra joined the opening night. Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Sheila Marie Tario attended with Embassy personnel, alongside members of Canberra's arts community. The Embassy said Ancog's work reflects the growing contribution of Filipinos and Filipino-Australians to Australia's cultural life, and noted that the exhibition coincides with Museums and Galleries Month, observed in the Philippines each October.

Yearning to Breathe Free is on display at Aarwun Gallery, Shop 11, Federation Square, O'Hanlon Place, Nicholls, ACT, until 8 November 2026.