“Furaha” is a Swahili word meaning joy, happiness, or delight. It is often used as a given name in East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania. The name reflects the cultural value of celebrating joy and positivity.
What’s a Furaha?
At 75 it’s rather difficult to put it all in a few short sentences; clearly it’s been a long and often arduous ride and yet most fulfilling at the same time.
One of the most important things I can share is all about the core of my being. That core is ever evolving, understanding, and overstanding the power of love. By embracing love, patience and understanding, I’ve been gifted generously to pursue my life as an artist in several genres having evolved over the past 75 years. There’ve been some really ugly downs, yet the ups have evolved into the woman I am today.
It’s all about the stories; and believe me, I’ve got stories. As we all do.
My years of being a custom framer have impacted my senses of color, design, and framing as it relates to fashion, photography, and style. Framing was a very natural progression into acting, singing, dancing, fashion, and photography.
I was born in Harlem, New York. It was just me, my mom, and my brother. When I was 4, my mother moved me up to Rochester. My mother bent over backward and gave me every possible opportunity.
But with all this goodness she was trying to anoint me with, I was pushing back. I wasn’t doing the hard work.
I moved to D.C. and became a picture framer in my early twenties. I began to find myself through picture-framing in the early 70s. By the time I learned enough about framing, I was running an entire retail store.
I opened my own shop in Atlanta on my birthday in 1987. My journey as a custom picture framer was set. I was fortunate and built a solid business. I was well respected as a framer and received amazing projects from original art and artifacts to documents and photographs. You name it, I’d frame it.
You name it, I’d frame it.
~ Furaha Moyé
Now, back in NYC since the tender age of 50, my living room is dominated by a 4’ x 7’ worktable complete with a 60” mat-cutter, and all the necessary tools and samples to deliver the same high quality work as when I had access to my shop full of equipment. Given that I’ve been a custom picture framer for 52 years, I no longer rely on automated equipment.
Art by Jane Feldman
I applied for a scholarship and auditioned for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
At 70, I consider myself to be extremely fortunate. Twenty-five years ago, when my mother was 70, there were not options for women the way that there are now.
Read more about Furaha in Brain Massage article.
