Explore Public Art
at King George Hub
King George Hub is enriched by a diverse array of public artworks scattered throughout the community. From vibrant murals to striking sculptures, these pieces include both official public art and collaborative works—both permanent and temporary—created by local artists. Each artwork is a unique reflection of the history and spirit of King George Hub, offering a distinct interpretation of the community through the eyes of its creators.
Moon harvest (2021)
Artist Statement:
Moon Harvest introduces play and whimsy into the development around King George SkyTrain station. Although its focal elements such as the tractor, moon, and goat sculptures are positioned deep within the complex, the secondary interventions such as tractor tracks and a fox watching from a distance extend the artwork throughout the pedestrian area. The moon is also visible from several vantage points within and beyond the site.
This artwork celebrates stories told throughout the ages. Whether its origin is farm or factory, a sculptor's hands or a digital code, the fingerprints of process reveal a human history of thought and action. Here is a fable, written in the physical language of materials and the processes by which matter gets rendered. This is a story that links the fertile soil, buried beneath our feet, to the expanse of space that has forever seeded our imaginations. In-between is a tale of humans and our environment, of our fellow creatures, our tools, our aspirations, and the stories we use to harvest meaning.”
- Maskull Lasserre
Artist Bio:
Maskull Lasserre's drawings and sculptures explore the unexpected potential of the everyday by inducing strangeness in the familiar and provoking uncertainty in the expected. Each work is developed as a model to mediate the translation of experience between matter and mind. His work appears on Canadian coinage and is represented ni collections ni Canada, the United States, and Europe including those of the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec, and the Canadian War Museum. He has completed several public art commissions and has taught sessionally at Concordia, York, and Emily Carr universities, as well as at the California College of Art. He now works from a studio in Squamish, British Columbia.
Website
Instagram: @maskulllasserre
Star Field on old Yale Road (2021)
Artist Statement:
Star Field on Old Yale Road was created as an extended homage to the agricultural history of the area and to aesthetically complement Maskull Lasserre’s public art sculpture ‘Moon Harvest’. It goes back to the 1950’s era when drive-in movie theatres in large open fields provided a view to a large field of stars on clear nights. Old Yale Road is the historical main corridor through the Fraser Valley connecting New Westminster to the Fraser Canyon (now known as Fraser Highway).
Each type face used has been inspired by 18th century industrial and agricultural signage and lettering. The layout of the mural creates flow by breaking the grid of the structure it is on, directing the viewer toward the moon. A sufficient amount of space has been intentionally left around the moon sculpture to frame nicely but not interfere. With the subtle detail of painted stars, an aged tone and texture, the mural is tied both visually and thematically to the Moon Harvest sculpture.
- Cody Swinkels
Artist Bio:
Cody Swinkels is a freelance artist and traditionally trained Sign Painter based in Vancouver, BC. Drawing influences from modern to mid-century ephemera and design his work is comprised of hand painted signage, typographical artworks and murals.
Website
Instagram: @swinkels.signs
botanical ice tiles (2023)
Curated by The Black Arts Centre
Artist Statement:
Cherry Archer is a Vancouver-based multidisciplinary artist. Her process begins by snipping plants grown in her garden or with a long forest or urban walk to forage botanicals. She composes, then incrementally freezes the vegetation in water to form what she calls a Botanical Ice Tile. The tile is illuminated with coloured light, then photographed. Cherry’s art is informed by ecopsychology, a field of study fostering ecological thinking and documenting how nature benefits mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Her images are a visual interpretation of emotions and sensations experienced during her outdoor interaction. Indigenous plants have been incorporated into this project to celebrate the natural beauty and resilience of Surrey’s flora.
By using ice as a medium, Cherry explores the tensions between transience and preservation and randomness versus control. Each image invites the viewer to observe the fine details, to tumble in, to consider their relationship with nature, and embrace the emotions that arise.
- Cheryl Archer
Artist Bio:
Cherry Archer is a Trinidadian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist who resides in Vancouver on the unceded lands of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Her art explores the relationship between humanity and nature while addressing themes of global warming, sustainability, biophilia, and being in the moment. Her creations are informed by ecopsychology, a field fostering ecological thinking and documenting how exposure to nature benefits mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Cherry Archer’s Botanical Ice Tile Series is an ongoing project that has been exhibited in galleries throughout Metro Vancouver. Large-format photographs from this series will be at Aberdeen SkyTrain Station in Richmond, April 2024-2025. Her art has also appeared as public art at the Landsdowne SkyTrain Station in Richmond and in Ottawa, Ontario. Cherry Archer’s artworks are held in private collections internationally.
Website
Instagram: @cherry.archer
Everyday People (2023)
Curated by The Black Arts Centre
Artist Statement:
Emilya Gurerro’s Everyday People is an homage to the current landscape of Surrey and the people whose commute through the King George Hub plays an integral role in their daily rituals. The figures in this piece superimposed on a colorful camouflage-like backdrop represent a people in continuous motion and a vibrant city in a state of flux. Still, despite the ever-changing nature of Surrey’s environmental and human landscape, there is a oneness that is grounded in the history of these lands, the knowledge it holds, and the labor of its traditional stewards and settlers. All of which are visualized in Gurerro’s piece through her seamless integration of Surrey’s vegetation and the cityscape. Echoing through all aspects of this piece is the interwoven nature of our understanding of place, space-making and the impact that has on our embodied experience of our everyday lives. Through this piece, Gurerro pays tribute to and takes pride in her vibrant Afro Hispanic roots while incorporating whimsical elements that honor the inner-child and vivid imagination that carried her through this space as a child in Surrey. In a space that acts as a bustling transit hub and important connection point for the many people on their way to work, school and beyond , Guererro’s work urges us to slow down and appreciate all the elements at play. By disrupting our regular pace, we’re reminded of the type of presence necessary to stay connected to each other in our increasingly fast-paced and isolating world. Gurerro’s mural acts as a celebration of the everyday and the art of living. This piece invites us to relish in the present and the fundamental gestures that mark our individuality. The central message that everyday people sends is one that is rooted in community. Although each of us carries our struggles, individual histories and identities, it is the coming together of these diverse histories that allows community to emerge. Everyday people is a loud call for us to slow down and take in our environment as we rush to make it to the grocery store or avoid missing our bus taking us to work, and play.
- Emilya Gurerro
Artist Bio:
Emilya Guerrero (Comohombre) is a first-generation Afro Hispanic collage and mural artist living and working on the stolen land of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples also known as Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her roots and familial connection with Buenaventura and Guatemala heavily inform her artistic practice. Comohombre's Afro-Hispanic roots are embodied in her practice through her vibrant use of colours and her figurative painting and collage-based works ' dynamic yet familiar depictions of the bodies. Como hombre is also heavily inspired by street art movements and the sense of communal and individual agency bred in guerrilla and alternative art scenes. One of the vital aspects of her practice revolves around exploring and depicting the varied subtleties of BIPOC youth culture and community in Vancouver; by doing so, Comohombre hopes to explore the ways that fragmented memories and the construction of one's identities are tied to notions of place and the familiar encounters with likeminded bodies.
Wave Lands (2023)
Curated by The Black Arts Centre
Artist Statement:
This mural entitled "Wave Lands" is rooted in upholding Black and Indigenous solidarity through their mutual ancestral relationships to the land and its ecosystems. The most crucial aspect of this work is evident through the holding of hands, where the land and water are adjoined and mutual love for intercultural connection blossoms.
The Black figure is painted as a mermaid indicative of the Artist's extended exploration of Black bodies reclaiming their historical relationship to water and sea mammals, as previously explored by Alexis Pauline Gumbs. The Indigenous Coast Salish matriarch is situated on her traditional, ancestral lands. Eagle wings are extended from her back to signify Host Nations' relationship to the eagle as a symbol for power, and is wearing red in protest of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit individuals. Both are caretakers of their environments. They work together to keep these ecosystems above and below alive and healthy. This mural simultaneously serves as a critique of the irresponsible emergence of the climate crisis which directly intersects with colonization/capitalism, and an ode to the original caretakers of lands globally, who are the key to solving the climate crisis.
- Krystal Paraboo
Artist Bio:
Krystal Paraboo places tremendous value on bridging activism and artistic expression with cultural development, based on the foundation of fostering authentic human connections and inclusive practices. Predominantly known as a Curator and Writer, Krystal Paraboo is occasionally immersed in a visual arts practice complementary to her research and curatorial practice within the public realm. She uses semi-abstract 2-D shapes paired with vibrant colours as explorations of ancestry, intercultural dialogues, and visual socio-political critiques. Krystal is currently a Public Art Planner with the City of Vancouver, and the Public Art Director with the Black + Indigenous Design Collective (BIDC).
Instagram: @rocketqueen03
The black arts centre
The Black Arts Centre is an artist-run centre, cultural hub and community space owned and operated by Black youth in Surrey, BC. Our organizations exists to support and celebrate Black art and artists across
disciplines at a local, national and international scale. Existing at the intersection of art, community, and culture, wehosts exhibitions, performances, events, workshops and other diverse programming. This multifaceted approach provides infrastructure for Black art, creativity, and imagination. Our space is a response to our community’s need for a Black-friendly art and gathering space that is culturally relevant, accessible and youth-centered. The Black Arts Centre will not only conceptualize art in an everyday sense, but will become a place that fosters mutual, transformational relationships that connect our community to artistic and cultural Black experiences year-round.
We will facilitate mentorship between emerging and established artists. Our space will also serve as a studio for making and learning about art. As a gesture of care, we hope to maintain a strong connection to the Lower Mainland’s larger BIPOC community. The Black Arts Centres mission is to address the underrepresentation of Blackness in art through a flexible space that facilitates intercultural and intergenerational care, recognizing that the way forward is informed by the past. We are proud to follow in the footsteps of Black elders who continue to steward initiatives for our community.
Website
Instagram: @theblackartscentre
Stolen Sisters (2022)
Curated by the Surrey Wraparound Program
Artist Statements:
I’m inspired by every beautiful soul that has been sent to the spirit world. I am very thankful to use my love for art and use my voice for them.
- Selena Oakley
“Stolen Sisters” is important to me because it represents the resilience of Indigenous women. This work shows the strength and hope for the future. I feel connected to this because I have empathy for those who have gone missing and their untold stories. I hope when people look into her eyes they see anger, strength, sadness and hope.
- Hannah Adams
Artist bios:
Selena is very passionate about community mural projects. She has been involved in four projects as a student and has most recently been selected as a leader/mentor in her latest project. Her art is a celebration of nature and spirituality we receive from our immersion in natural surroundings.
Instagram: @plutos.projects
Hannah is very proud of her Indigenous ancestry and prefers to express herself via her impactful art. Social Justice is a central theme in her art while bringing attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Hannah has done many projects for the community including beautifying community centres.
Instagram: @dreamylildrawings
Surrey Wraparound Program
The Surrey Wraparound Program (WRAP) is a collaborative effort involving the Surrey School District, RCMP, and the City of Surrey. Its aim is to foster a strong connection between youth and their school, community, and home by developing trusting and positive relationships. Parents, caregivers, and guardians play a key role in setting goals, helping to promote a positive lifestyle and boost self-esteem among young people.
The Surrey Wraparound Program (WRAP) offers several key highlights that enhance youth support. It collaborates with school staff, parents, and youth to set goals and outline strategic interventions aimed at helping young people succeed in the school environment. The program includes seven dedicated school district staff members who work closely with youth and their families, as well as two committed RCMP officers who foster positive, trusting relationships with the youth.
WRAP also provides supervised work experience opportunities that benefit the community while helping to build self-esteem. Additionally, the program offers access to athletic and recreational activities through the City of Surrey's Parks and Recreation Department, along with artistic and creative opportunities tailored to each youth's interests and strengths. By promoting awareness and mentoring relationships, WRAP encourages youth to utilize their strengths positively, all while collaborating with families in a supportive and non-judgmental manner.