I've been painting murals ever since I moved to Canada on the summer of '98. It started with graffiti art, and evolved into what is now a career as a muralist, gallery artist and freelance design and illustration. In the summer of 2008, I was contracted by MU to paint a couple of murals in Cote des Neiges and NDG.

The first mural was a pilot project for Montreal, painting an underpass on Victoria road just before Jean Talon road. We met with an enthusiastic city planner, who helped us find the best way to go about it, and on another day I walked up and down the street to meet and talk to the people who inhabit this neighbourhood. I asked them what they thought should be represented in the wall, and the same themes resonated with each others ideas and cultural views. I worked hard on creating a design that would no only please everyone, and at the same time, avoid offending anyone.

A month or so later, a sketch was approved and due to restrictions on equipment, I had to get started right away and work as hard and fast as possible. This led me to 50 hours of labour the first week, with the help from two assistants. It was looking better than expected and I felt a great deal of pride, that was manifested also in peoples positive comments throughout the week.

On what was to be the final day, we were approached by a street walker from Prevention NDG who mentioned something about a city official calling  Mayor Tremblay, complaining about the creation of the mural without his knowledge. We had planned a public hearing that evening where people from the neighbourhood, Mayor Tremblays brother and representatives from arrondisement Cote-des-Naiges, prevention NDG and Des Jardin. Good things where said throughout and we had a good response until a silent man in a suit who was sitting in the middle of it all, voiced his opinions at the end of the session. He said he was the Official for the neighbourhood and felt that due to the high population of refugees in the area who come from harsh regimes, that they might feel upset about seeing a mural go up without their consent. We explained that though the mural was designed to include one and all, and though I did make an effort to go around and ask the people on Victoria road what they thought, MU does not work by asking for the consent of the neighbourhoods as it would become a confusing match of ideas and nothing would get done in the time allotted; which is the simple truth when it comes to the creative process. We did however, hold art workshops in a near by community center where I took part in to explain the mural concept as well as the life of a muralist.

Time passed, and an agreement was reached that despite our efforts, the mural should be painted over, with the possibility of starting again next summer under the condition of holding public hearings to get more feedback from the community. So we sucked it up and got on to the next mural which was successfully created.

http://www.themonitor.ca/article-267890-NDG-mural-celebrates-Diversitree.html

Coming from a graffiti mentality where the impermanence of the artwork is something you get used to, and teaches you to detach yourself from your creation, you'd think it wouldnt be a problem to move on, but the pain I felt when the mural was erased is something I've never felt before. You finally feel like youre giving back to the community and the city, and they take it back using a bad excuse out of personal issues.

Who would feel oppressed from a beautiful, colourful, all inclusive artwork that enhances a noisy, brick and cement area?

I'm happy to say I got over the pain of this experience, but I constantly struggle to understand what happened.

You can see a blog related to these murals here:

http://victoriamural.blogspot.com/

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Check out Peru's website HERE or at peru143[dot]com