Full Circle

The Work

Sandeep Johal’s mural is entitled Full Circle. She was born and raised in Kelowna and spent much of her formative time in Rutland, so it was especially meaningful for her to paint a mural in her hometown. She wanted to boldly express the pride she feels in her identity through the vibrant colours and patterns of her South Asian heritage.

The Project

The Uptown Mural Project was a community-inclusive and educative urban-art initiative within the community of Rutland, Kelowna BC, organized by Uptown Rutland Business Association. This week-long event centered around the painting large scale urban murals. Each of the mural's locations has been strategically selected creating a short walking tour within the Rutland Business Improvement Area.

The goals of this project are driven towards the beautification of Rutland, encouraging community involvement, increasing walkability within the business improvement area, and educating and inspiring youth through contemporary public art. The Uptown Mural Project is proudly supported in part with funding by the City of Kelowna

The Artist

Sandeep's parents immigrated to Canada from India with her siblings in the early 70s. She was born soon after in Kelowna General Hospital and grew up in Rutland South (from K-12 through to her first post-secondary degree at UBC-O formerly OUC). She spent a lot of time in Rutland, from Sundays at the Sikh Temple with my family to five years as a part-time Youth Care Worker at Rutland Boys and Girls Club.

At that time, Rutland had the reputation of being a bit rough and tumble, but on return visits through the years, she saw it transform and believes Uptown Murals will be a positive turning point in its continued transformation.

Public art has drastically changed the landscape of the neighbourhood she currently lives in. Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, a neighbourhood with a historically similar background to Rutland, has become the recent anchor of Vancouver Mural Festival. For the past three years, VMF murals have transformed the neighbourhood into an outdoor art gallery by unleashing mostly local talent on un(der)utilized spaces like alleyways and nondescript walls.

She paints murals because they’re accessible to the public, activate and beautify space, engage people with their environment, boosts local small business, and fosters a sense of community pride and joy.