Abbotsford got a little brighter this winter, as a muralist swept through town leaving a swath of tropical colours on the walls of a businesses and homes here.
It started when Nereo Zorro was invited to paint a mural on the walls of Gladwin Crossing Dental, by dentist and business owner Amarjot Singh. Zorro lives between La Huerto, Mexico and Winnipeg, and it’s his work in the Prairies that connected the two men.
Singh was living and working in Winnipeg for two years while his wife completed her residency there. Over the summer, he took notice of Zorro and his bold, moving artwork when it was featured on CBC Winnipeg.
He saw that Zorro was creating art in an unlikely space — that city’s alleyways. In the interview, Zorro mentioned wanting to create art across the country.
Singh was hooked. The sentiment of creating art in unexpected places appealed to Singh, and when he opened his new practice in Abbotsford, he invited Zorro to use his wall as a canvas. In November, Zorro completed a commissioned piece of art in the lobby of the dental office.
Then, when he was done that, Singh’s brother also commissioned him for some work — a piece in his own residence and at his own business, Venus Law Corporation. Both of the business murals are tropical in nature, and elicit thoughts of warm ocean breezes with wide open flowers and colourful fauna.
While each piece is unique, they are also complementary to each other. But, neither is the type of art you’d normally see in a lawyer’s office, or from a dentist’s chair. And that’s exactly why Singh loves it.
The alleyway project, Zorro told the News, gave him a chance to ‘redefine and re-imagine’ the spaces that are often neglected or underutilized.
“It was about creating a sense of safety in the back alley areas,” he said.
He also took part in Peachland’s first mural festival while in B.C. Mural art is becoming more and more popular as a way for communities to highlight local and visiting artists, while creating a cultural tourism draw.
At a mural festival, passersby in a downtown area can watch the artists at work and even ask questions of them. It’s a chance to inspire people to connect with art in a new way, out of the gallery. Most of all, it’s accessible to all.
For the murals in the businesses, Zorro said, he works with the person who commissioned the piece to create a vision together.
“It’s a conversation that we’re having through the art,” he said. “I help them along the way to bring that vision to life, while still maintaining my integrity. All together we co-create a piece that resonates with some kind of identity.”
What hopes will happen with the art at Dr. Singh’s office, is that it will help ease tension for his patients.
“We can associate going to the dentist with pain and fear,” he said, and the lush, floor-to-ceiling mural offers a point of beauty people can focus on if needed.
And there’s another connection, he added. He enjoys the connection of the artwork he does on the walls to the art of dentistry. Dentistry is a craft with aesthetics top of mind, and takes practice and commitment, like painting and other art forms, he explained.
“What I do, and what Amarjot and other dentists do, they aren’t that different.”
To learn more about Zorro’s work, visit his website at nereozorro.com. To see some of his work in person, visit either of the businesses mentioned in this article.
READ MORE: Singer Brian Doerksen hosts holiday concerts in Abbotsford and Surrey
@CHWKcommunity
jessica.peters@abbynews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
