When the Fish Flew

Anticipated mural install: Spring 2026

As part of the revitalization of Zoie Gardner Park, local artist Heraa Khan has designed murals for two sides of the park’s washroom building. The artwork reflects the park’s namesake Zoie Gardner, as well as the playful spirit of the park and the diversity of the neighbourhood. 

Herra imagines the murals as functioning like an open map unfolding over two walls. Writes the artist, ​“One wall represents the land and daytime, where trees rise from the ground as animals and mystical creatures move through the space. Water flows through the centre as a connecting force, threading the elements together. The land feels alive, layered, and in motion, shaped by coexistence and everyday encounters. 

The opposing wall shifts into the night sky, where the sun and moon appear among stars, marking cycles of time. Flying fish, creatures, and a dragon move through the sky, blurring boundaries between worlds. The mural speaks to overlapping stories; those drawn from my own cultural background alongside others that exist within the neighbourhood. Myth, memory, and lived experience come together, existing side by side.

Together, they form a sense of unison; different spaces exist side by side. Much like the neighbourhood, the mural brings together many presences, movements, and ways of being within a shared environment.”