Three artists created a towering social justice-themed mural that now graces a wall in the library at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus.
The colourful, 25-foot-tall mural was created with panels painted by Brandon Gabriel, Desi Mundo and Pancho Pescador, who met as panelists at the 2022 KDocsFF film festival.
The mural depicts a woman holding a golden feather with a red handprint across her face and fists of different colour punching up from the bottom of the painting, which also includes a drum and the peaks of the Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn, also known as the Lions.
“The legacy mural will rise up to welcome anyone who passes through the library’s main atrium,” says Greg Chan, the film festival’s community outreach director.
The woman on the mural is Kat Zu’comulwat Norris, a Coast Salish advocate and founder of the Indigenous Action Movement. Norris died in 2022 at age 67.
“The (mural) themes include missing and murdered women, the environment…we wanted to personify social justice for Indigenous peoples,” explained Gabriel, a KPU artist-in-residence.
“We are representing people who did not ask for permission, who stood up for their identities, and representing not just the Indigenous tradition but also the writer traditions,” added Mundo, referring to train graffiti culture.
Both Mundo and Pescador live in Oakland, California, while Gabriel lives locally and was born and raised on the Kwantlen First Nation Reserve in Fort Langley.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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