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View Larger + PHOTO: Michael Rose
It is always exciting to see great artistic careers take root locally. For artist Kameko Branchaud, Rhode Island is not just the place where she grew up and attended college. It is now the launch pad for the next phase of her creative career. Branchaud, who uses the artist name of Fu’una, earned a BS in Art Education from Rhode Island College and an MA in Art and Design Education from RISD. Having held educational leadership positions in museums, Fu’una recently returned to RI after a stint of living and working in Austin, Texas. In addition to a day job at RISD, Fu’una is a multi-talented artist whose presence will add much to the state’s cultural mix.
Explaining her artistic moniker, she states, “Fu’una is the name of the creation goddess in the Chamoru creation story. In this story, Fu’una’s brother Puntan asks her to take apart his body and use the pieces to create the world. She takes his body parts and uses them to create the earth, sun, moon and rainbows, before adding her own body to the earth. One thing I am most proud of about being Chamoru is that we are a matrilineal society that values women, and that is reflected in this story. It feels fitting and empowering to embody this creation goddess in my own creative practice.”
Fu’una’s latest project, her first major mural in several years, can be found in arched niches at 35 Weybosset Street in Providence. Titled 401: After Winter Spring Must Come, the large-scale and multi-part painting was sponsored by The Avenue Concept, which commissions a new artist to paint the space each year. The mural, which was completed by Fu’una during a recent heat wave, features flaming floral blooms setting off a central graphic of Rhode Island’s 401 area code. The mural’s palette is a signature of the artist and is immediately recognizable as her handiwork. With its prominent location downtown, it promises to become a favorite work of public art over the next twelve months.
View Larger + PHOTO: Michael Rose
Speaking of her use of flowers in the mural, Fu’una connects them both to her own past as a Rhode Islander and to her vision of a vibrant future. She says, “I’ve been playing around with the flaming blossom motif for a year or so now, but this design is directly inspired by Rhode Island, and the yard I had growing up in Glocester. Growing up here, I learned that at the end of every winter, when daffodil sprouts start popping up through the snow, it means spring is right around the corner. I imagine that similar to other eras of societal trauma, the COVID-19 pandemic will be followed by a renaissance. This mural is about that renewal, using flames and local flora as symbols of regeneration.”
Much of Fu’una’s practice as an artist and muralist has incorporated collaboration, but she maintains an active studio creating work that is wholly her own. Her distinctive pastel portraits have earned praise and awards. Speaking of the connection between her various ways of making art, she explains, “Most of my mural portfolio consists of collaborations or commissions, and in those it’s not easily discernible what clients, collaborators, or I contributed. A studio practice where I am able to make my own creative decisions is necessary for me to develop my personal style. In this project, The Avenue Concept gave creative freedom so I was able to take concepts from my studio work and design something site-specific that reflects that style I’ve been developing.”
View Larger + PHOTO: Michael Rose
For Fu’una, the meaning of the mural comes from both her vision as well as viewer experience. Asked what she hopes audiences take away from the work, she says, “I hope it encourages people to notice and appreciate what we have in our environment and to find ways to be more connected with it. The more we are separated from our environment, the easier it is to ignore the harm we are doing to it. I also hope that the promise of growth and revitalization motivates anyone who is in the process of reinventing themselves or their businesses. It’s not entirely about what the viewers take away either; their perspectives and interpretations add dimension to its meaning, and I always love to hear how people respond.”
View Larger + PHOTO: Michael Rose
Fu’una is one of the most engaging of the region’s emerging generation of artists. While her mural on Weybosset Street will be on view for the next year, there is much to look forward to in this artist’s blossoming career. Coming in 2023, she will be the subject of a solo exhibition at RISCA’s Atrium Gallery, and there is no telling what exciting creations she has in store next.
Learn more about Fu’una on Instagram @_fuuna_ or via her website www.atelier-fuuna.com.
Michael Rose is a multi-talented fine art professional based in Southern New England. Since 2014 he has served as the gallery manager at the historic Providence Art Club, one of the nation’s oldest arts organizations. Through his current freelance work he advises collectors and artists, provides appraisal services, teaches, and completes curatorial projects.
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