Keerat Kaur explores language, memory, and gardens at Surrey Art Gallery
The Canadian artist and architect's solo exhibition 'If Gardens Could Dream' runs July 4 through August 30, with an opening art party on July 11.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canadian-born artist and architect Keerat Kaur is the focus of Surrey Art Gallery exhibitions and programming this summer with a solo show titled "If Gardens Could Dream."
The exhibition runs July 4 through August 30 at the gallery in Bear Creek Park. A "Seeds of Imagination" opening art party takes place Saturday, July 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., with free admission.
The show, curated by Suvi Bains, celebrates the lushness of language and nature in Kaur's multidisciplinary work — painting, sculpture, digital media, embroidery, poetry, and architectural forms.
"Kaur invites the viewer to consider the garden as more than a place — it becomes a living archive of memory, language and belonging," Bains says. "Her work traces the journeys of stories, seeds and cultural knowledge across generations and geographies, reminding us that marginalized communities take root in many places while remaining connected to ancestral lands. I'm honoured to share Kaur's work in Surrey where so many histories of migration, care, and cultural exchange continue to shape the city's landscape."
"If Gardens Could Dream" grew from Kaur's 2023 exhibition "Panjabi Garden," which featured Panjabi and Gurmukhi scripts. Starting July 26, her artwork will also appear in a "Symbol Harvesting" digital-art show at UrbanScreen at Surrey Civic Plaza, translating imagery from a three-foot-wide acrylic painting with hand embroidery and beading.
Kaur will participate in several public programs. At a Family Art Party on July 18 from 1 to 5 p.m., she will be in the Studio Theatre between 2 and 2:30 p.m. for an interactive story time and reading. On July 30, she will lead a tour of her exhibition in Punjabi during Surrey Art Gallery Association's Thursday Artist Talk, starting at 7 p.m.
A 35-minute video showcasing Kaur's creative world is available on Surrey Art Gallery's YouTube channel. One of her cherished symbols is the pomegranate, which carries deep personal and cultural significance. "I have had a lifelong attachment to this fruit as it was a delicacy during my visits to India," she says. "Upon seeing a pomegranate, my synesthetic interpretation is of maroon rubies surrounded by a crimson marble encasing" — a resemblance to stones and minerals symbolizing both opulence and fortitude, qualities that resonate throughout her work.
Also featured at Surrey Art Centre is "ARTS 2026," the Arts Council of Surrey's annual juried exhibition with prizes awarded in five categories, on view until August 1.