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Charlottetown, PEI — Confederation Centre of the Arts Art Gallery is proud to present To Be Something More (and More), a major exhibition by Vancouver-based Canadian artist Sandeep Johal, opening June 20, 2026 and running through January 10, 2027.
Through painting, collage, textiles, and mural, Johal explores the resilience of women in her signature Indo-folk aesthetic, confronting harsh and ugly realities with their dissonant opposites: brightness, hope, and beauty. Originated at the Kelowna Art Gallery, this powerful body of work arrives at Confederation Centre as one of the most vibrant and emotionally resonant exhibitions the gallery has presented in recent memory.
Ahead of the exhibition opening, the gallery invites the community to get hands-on with Johal’s visual world through a special workshop event.
Collage With Sandeep Johal
Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 2:00 pm
Confederation Centre Art Gallery
Using guided prompts and the vibrant colours, patterns, and motifs drawn from Johal’s Indo-folk visual language, participants will create their own imaginative hybrid creatures through collage. This playful, hands-on workshop encourages creativity and experimentation, with no prior experience needed. Just bring your curiosity.
Registration is open now at confederationcentre.com/event/sandeep-johal.
About Sandeep Johal
Sandeep Johal is a Vancouver-based Canadian visual artist, advocate, and leader whose practice engages drawing, collage, textiles, and large-scale murals. Through her Indo-folk feminine aesthetic, she confronts themes of bleakness, despair, and ugliness with their dissonant opposites: brightness, hope, and beauty. Her work centers around the stories of women and while she highlights female suffering in its many forms, these are ultimately stories of resistance and resilience.
Johal began her professional art practice after becoming a new mother at the age of 41. Since then, she has worked on notable site-specific commissions with the Vancouver Art Gallery (2021, 2019), Burrard Arts Foundation (2019), and Vancouver Mural Festival (2016 to 2021). Her work is held in numerous collections, including the TD Art Collection, the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, Global Affairs Canada Visual Art Collection Program (Canadian Embassy, San Salvador), and Surrey Art Gallery.
She holds a Diploma in Fine Arts (honours) from Langara College (2007) and a Degree in Education from the University of British Columbia (2002).
Learn more at sandeepjohal.com.
To Be Something More (and More) was originated at Kelowna Art Gallery.
About the Confederation Centre of the Arts Art Gallery
The Confederation Centre of the Arts Art Gallery is one of Canada’s leading public art galleries, dedicated to presenting exceptional visual art that reflects and challenges our understanding of Canadian identity and culture. Located in the heart of downtown Charlottetown, the gallery offers exhibitions, education programs, and community engagement opportunities year-round.
For more information, visit confederationcentre.com.
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Jillian O’Halloran
Confederation Centre of the Arts
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Image: Sandeep Johal, When the mortality of age overtakes the blind conceit of youth, 2026. Hand cut, stitched and embroidered textile stuffed with cotton, 240 x 300 cm. Installation View at Richmond Art Gallery, Photo: Michael Love. Courtesy of the artist.