The construction fence along Evans Avenue has a fresh mural from Rankin to Quint Streets. As a small crowd of family and community members gathered to watch the mural be installed, the mural’s creator Afatasi The Artist eagerly pointed out key parts of her work. “The background here is the North Star, our navigation tool used to escape enslavement. And this one over here is a Muni bus transfer specifically dated June 19, 1865, to honor Juneteenth, our emancipation holiday.”
She added that for her, the fact that these and other symbols are in the background is important. “I think Black Americans have always been pushed to the background.” She added that her mother is Samoan, and her father is Black American, and she identifies as Afro-Polynesian. “My artistic practice centers on being Afro-Polynesian.”
Afatasi is the fourth and final artist to install a mural along the construction fence for the Southeast Treatment Plant temporary public art program launched in 2020. Artists are chosen for their meaningful connection to the Bayview neighborhood and their murals reflect the vibrancy of the community, plus additional guidelines. The mural called “Modalities and Motifs,” also includes what she calls whimsical art. “I always loved coloring books when I was a kid and I wanted these to look like something kids would want to color.”
When asked about her work overall, she said she doesn’t have a favorite medium when creating art. “I am a member of the disability community. For me, the medium I work in is more about what my body is able to do that day.”
Her longtime friend, Bayview Hunters-Point native, and graphic designer, Sophia Tupuola, helped pull the mural concept together through collaboration. Tupuola attended the mural installation as well. “This is so big,” said Tupuola. “This will expand and open doors for Afatasi and people like us who are from this community." Tupuola worked with Afatasi The Artist to bring her woodblock prints to life, including the Juneteenth Muni transfer background. “I would say I’m not an artist the way Afatasi is an artist, but we are aligned in our values and our heart work in this community,” Tupuola added.
As with the previous murals, this installation will run for one year. But the mural will live on because parts of the art will be sewn into clothes, and Afatasi the Artist plans a fashion show of those clothes. “I am so happy to be part of a program that is accessible to artists in this neighborhood. We are seeing and supporting artists right here,” Afatasi said. As workers continued to install the mural, she took a moment to encourage young people to stay creative in the face of challenges. “You know, sometimes life be lifin,’ and to navigate life you gotta stay creative.”
The mural program is part of the New Headworks Facility Project, an important part of the SFPUC’s Sewer System Improvement Program (SSIP), which is part of the SFPUC’s 10-year Capital Plan. The New Headworks Facility will help reduce odors and improve operations and resilience in the face of climate change and earthquakes.