Lobby Art Gallery

Chantey Dayal – hand on the heart, fist on the sky

September 18 – November 1, 2026
Culture Days Artist Talk & Art Tour: Saturday, October 3rd 5:00pm-7:00pm

hand on the heart, fist in the sky is an ongoing collection of paintings, alongside writing, textiles, and archival materials both personal and historical from Palestine. The exhibit combines the act of repetitive mark making with an educational and political stance in the face ongoing genocide of the people, and all living beings in occupied Palestine.

Emerging from a deeply personal expression of grief and longing, these works are an attempt to speak about the unspeakable, to sit with truth, and to invoke the names and spirit of those who came before us. It is an attempt to heal the heart and mind.

Using symbols, colours, and language, the immensity of what Palestinians have endured under Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide, is exposed. The “X” that is used to create intricate, complex, and symbolic designs in the traditional handwork of Palestinian tatreez تطريز (cross stitch), becomes the “thread” throughout this collection, in an attempt to account for the lives of Palestinian men, women and children that have been taken, destroyed, and subjugated.

This collection reflects historical and present day sumud صمود  (steadfastness). It is dedicated to all those who were lost, as well as the survivors of the 1948 Nakba نكبة and their descendants. hand on the heart, fist in the sky is a gesture. It is a protest, an embodiment of profound love, strength, and resistance. It is an insistence on our humanity.

About Chantey Dayal:
Born of parents who hail from India and Palestine, Chantey currently lives as a guest in Quw’utsun mustimuhw Territory. Chantey’s art is deeply influenced by her original cultures. Her paintings strike the viewer through a bold use of colour, shape and contrast. She references the poetry, mythology, rhythms and rituals of her family’s traditions and lineage, and her work is often ignited and compelled towards subjects that are life giving and feminine.

Chantey is a colour addict, a stargazer, a plant lover, a meal maker, a conscious dancer, a mother, and a political organizer. She is always on the lookout for delight, and her paintings are an earnest celebration of life and its inescapable paradox.

She works primarily with acrylic mediums, and loves to layer with oil stick, chalk pastels, and charcoal. Painting is an intuitive and spiritual realm for Chantey and she employs movement, writing, and meditation as part of her practice. This develops an intuitive process and allows things to unfold in a way that is both storytelling and spontaneous. Her process has abstract beginnings, which then gives way to recognizable forms themed on women, nature, and patterns. The result is a visual playfulness married with serious and heartfelt content.

About the Lobby Art Gallery

The 3rd Floor Gallery is located in the large lobby of the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. It hosts five visual art exhibitions per year and is closed over July and August. The gallery space showcases a breadth of creativity and artistic development, featuring artists who live in the Cowichan Region. The exhibits are seen by the 4,000+ patrons who visit the CPAC theatre every month. Private viewings of exhibits can be arranged by contacting [email protected].

The 3rd Floor Gallery is free for local artists to exhibit their work, either in solo shows or group efforts. Shows are selected by gallery staff to complement the theatre performance season and ensure a varied selection of artistic expression.

Exhibits run between 6 and 8 weeks in duration and are booked well in advance. Artists are fully responsible for installation and takedown of their exhibits. Works must be displayed on the professional gallery hanging system, with limited space for select sculptural works.