The Artist
"I am from Transylvania, that part of Rumania that inspired the mural project here in Chemainus. You might say that my connection with the murals is a very strong one"

Before emigrating to Canada in 1956, Ernest Marza had spent most of his working life as a painter and sculptor in eastern Europe. He pursued his chosen career once here, supplementing it with studies at the Kootenay School of Art in BC. He then specialized in the art of restoration and conservation at San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, and at Sanomo, California.

Marza now works as a artist, teacher, and restorer in Victoria, where he has had a long association with the "Little Gallery". His paintings can be found in private collections throughout Canada, the US, and Germany, as well as in the permanent collections of Gulf Oil, BC Hydro, and other corporations.

The Art
Many Chinese people had been enticed to the west coast of Canada as labourers in the late 1800's. A number settled in Chemainus with the promise of steady work in the lumber industry.

In the painting, twenty-tree men of the Chinese "Bull Gang" struggle to move a huge timber through the lumber yard to a sailing vessel. Planks laid in front of the wheels of the cart provided a smooth track. The mural is based on a photograph from the Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Company at the turn of the century.