A cold slab of concrete wall in the Life Sciences Centre is now swimming with life, thanks to the paintbrush of Zeqirja Rexhepi.

The painter with Facilities Management has been transforming a 60-foot wall in the oceanography wing of the LSC into a watery world. There are scenes of Nova Scotia on one side and British Columbia on the other, as well as the Arctic. And everything beneath the waves too, including dolphins, sharks and other forms of marine life.

"I'm here, so why not do it?" says Mr. Rexhepi, who was a professional artist and muralist in his native Kosovo. He arrived in Canada with his family as refugees from the war in Kosovo in 1999.

His murals can be found elsewhere at Dalhousie, including the new Dal Bike Centre in the Studley Gymnasium and in the Grawood Lounge. As well as working fulltime at Dalhousie, he teaches art classes and takes commissions.

"This one is fun to work because it is so loose and impressionistic," he says, pointing out a visual pun: fire extinguishers attached to the wall double as tanks for a pair of divers. "Everyone seems to like it." — Marilyn Smulders

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