The Indigenous artist behind the floor design and window murals inside AdHum
Before its revitalization project, the Administration Humanities (Ad-Hum) building at the University of Regina (UofR) wasn’t known for much other than its old carpeted pit. Post-renovation, one can find themselves drawn to the building’s new colourful floor and window art created by artist Larissa Kitchemonia, an Anishnaabe-Saulteaux woman from the Key First Nation and an alumnus and teacher at the First Nations University (FNUniv). Kitchemonia has been painting for about 23 years and, more recently, has been exploring sculptural art.
Growing up with art
The practice of art has always been abundantly present in Kitchemonia’s life. “My grandmother, she was always working on something. I think she [passed that down] to us,” she stated.
Kitchemonia started painting at 15 years old, which made her family well aware that she would have a future in the arts. “My mom knew that I really liked art just from observing me or seeing me draw as a child,” she said.
Family’s support fostered growth
While looking back at her childhood, she recalled a memory with her recently deceased uncle and the impact he had on her as a painter. “He was the one that actually bought me my first paint and [the] surfaces to paint on,” she reminisced. “He didn’t give me any instructions, [he only] gave me the supplies [and encouraged me] to do what I wanted.”
Kitchemonia’s passion for art was significant and her motivation to pursue it in school was the product of her family’s attitudes towards learning. “My grandparents were really big advocates for education. My grandmother was always pushing for lifelong learning.”
I’ve always really loved the building! All the wood, stone, the board room at [the] top, the engineering, and [its] openness, it boggles my mind. -Larissa Kitchemonia
Time at the UofR
At 18 years old, Kitchemonia entered university but was unable to fully complete her undergraduate degree the first time around. After having her first child, however, she decided to pick up where she left off and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from FNUniv in 2018. More recently, she finished her master’s degree and has been lecturing at FNUniv for four years. She teaches foundational studio classes and traditional art like beading.
With her six kids and two dogs, Regina has now been her home of 11 years, and art projects consume every corner of the house. “We haven’t seen [the kitchen table] in a few days,” she confessed.
During Kitchemonia’s time at the university, the Ad-Hum building wasn’t really a big part of her experience, but the building’s structure and mid-century feel left her in awe. “I’ve always really loved the building! All the wood, stone, the board room at [the] top, the engineering, and [its] openness, it boggles my mind,” she exclaimed.
Indigenous artwork on campus
When asked if she has seen much Indigenous artwork around the UofR campus, Kitchemonia said that there is not a lot but it’s around. She expressed that she wants Indigenous communities to see themselves represented in spaces important to her. “That’s something I’m really aware of as an Indigenous person, I don’t mean it in a bad way, but the world is not set up with Indigenous things in mind. I think that’s why I’m really conscious about making my art Indigenous because I want that Indigenous presence.”
The bottom panel is like a deeper river, the top is more like land, so there’s lots of plants and animals. -Larissa Kitchemonia
Kitchemonia’s contribution to Ad-Hum renovations
On Sept. 4, the UofR finally unveiled the revitalized AdHum pit along with Kitchemonia’s floor art that can be seen on walking through the north entry way of the building. She describes the piece, titled “Nīwin Mini ķeko Akiya (Four Good Directions),” as a happy accident. The idea, she said, was born from a previous project that utilized metal. “I worked with metal before [for] the Wascana Pool Gate project,’’ she commented. “I remember wanting to […] bring the outside in.”
The floor design acknowledges what the four directions symbolize for Indigenous peoples: “The water beings, the ones that are on land, in the sky, and then us. That was really what it was!”
She also drew inspiration from her grandmother’s cradleboard and Saskatchewan’s own flora and fauna. The colours were also significant to the design and became a part of the discussion during preliminary meetings. “They’re the cardinal directional colours,” stated Kitchemonia. “An elder from the committee told me to use my colours or what [my] nation uses.”
Kitchemonia also created “As Long As The River Flows,” the window murals on the third and fourth floors of the Ad-Hum building. She shared that the flow of students like a river became the working idea in their brainstorming and she wanted to use elements like stone and wood.
“I automatically thought of our wetlands [and who lives or visits] our natural river systems,” proclaimed Kitchemonia. She consulted back and forth with her mom and the committee during the creation of the window murals, which resulted in the request for frogs and ladybugs to be added.
“The bottom panel is like a deeper river, the top is more like land, so there’s lots of plants and animals.” There was also the element of time that had to be considered. The windows on the west side of the building are night themed while the east depicts the sunrise during day time.
Other noteworthy works
This isn’t the first time Kitchemonia’s work has been featured at the university. A painting of hers became part of the president’s art collection in 2021. The painting called “Saturday Night Pow Wow” was picked from her 2019 graduating exhibition titled “Anuhkimo! Make Them Dance!” The idea came from her experience in a traditional pow wow: “I remember thinking it was so beautiful! They didn’t mow any of the grass and [it eventually went down] just from people walking through [it] the whole weekend,” said Kitchemonia.
Future Projects
Currently, she is working on a collaborative project with four other artists for FNUniv. “This is fun, we’re all female […] and we’re layering as we go. You show up and you’re painting over somebody else’s [work].” At the time of the interview, Kitchemonia said they were working on the finishing details but the project was set to be finished on Oct. 8.
The creation of art never really stops for Kitchemonia and she hopes to dabble in more public art in the future. Outside of projects and collaborations, she can be found pursuing many hobbies at home in between doing dishes or mopping the floors; her hands are never idle.
