Flowerbed

Artist: Patrick Cruz
Location: 13685 102 Avenue, Surrey, BC
Category: Private collection
Developer: Anthem Properties
Year Installed: 2022

About Flowerbed

“Flowerbed” is inspired by the artist’s move to Canada in 2005 and settling in Surrey, BC. The artwork reflects the artist’s memories of adapting to a new culture and feeling a sense of unfamiliarity in a new environment. Flowerbed features hundreds of flowers collaged together, symbolizing the diverse mix of cultures and historical layers in Surrey.  The metaphor of flowers represents the blending of different cultures, traditions, and customs that has shaped Surreys cultural landscape over time. 
If the garden represents our cultural landscape, then the flowers within it symbolize its people. The flowers featured are all indigenous to British Columbia's diverse flora, including White and Pink Lilies, Menzies' Larkspurs, Yarrows, Camas, and nodding onions. The artist acknowledges this selection as a gesture of paying respect and recognizing the Semiahmoo, Katzie, and Kwantlen First Nations Peoples whose land on which we reside. 

About the Artist

Cruz, born in Quezon City, Philippines, studied painting at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Guelph, a certificate in Pachinko clowning, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. As a co-founder of Kamias Special Projects (KSP), he contributes to the Kamias Triennial. Cruz's art and teaching are influenced by folk spirituality, diasporic aesthetics, cultural blending, and the ongoing effort of decolonization. 
Cruz has exhibited globally at notable venues such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Center of Chulangkorn in Bangkok, and the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver. Recognitions include the 2021 Thirteen Artist Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the 17th RBC Canadian Painting Competition in 2015.