Major mural of Oakland Olympic champ Alysa Liu goes up in Temescal

"We just love to inspire youth with our murals and art. Things that make Oakland proud inspire us. A bunch of friends, family, and fans hit us up to ask if we were gonna do a mural. We are out here doing it for the love - we are paying for the paint."

"If there was ever a doubt where Alysa Liu is from, he wrote, above side-by-side photos of Liu and Vallejo rapper Mac Dre making thizz faces. Mac Dre popularized the teeth-grinding facial gesture during the 2000s Hyphy Era."

"Liu's hometown has been the subject of debate on social media since her victorious appearance at the Winter Olympics. Recently, Liu responded to a TikTok comment, saying that although she's lived in many cities in the Bay Area, she considers Oakland her hometown and still resides here."

Following Alysa Liu's gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milan, artwork celebrating the Oakland figure skater has appeared across the country. LA muralist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. created a mural in Gardena, prompting speculation about Bay Area artists' response. The Illuminaries, an Oakland urban street art collective, began work on a 15-foot mural at 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Temescal. The crew members—Steve Ha, Tim Hon, and Eric Nodara—self-funded the project to inspire youth and celebrate Oakland pride. The mural replaced a fading Warriors-themed artwork and drew inspiration from a graphic designer's post connecting Liu to Bay Area culture through the Hyphy Era.

Read at The Oaklandside