Gardena is looking extra golden these days thanks to an artist who’s working on a mural of Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu.

Muralist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. is transforming a business on Crenshaw Boulevard into a homage to the UCLA Olympian, who ended a 24-year medal drought Team USA’s women’s figure skating had experienced. Zermeño is memorializing Liu’s playful bite of her gold medal into artwork that will last.

“I think her personality really captivated the U.S.,” Zermeño said. “She’s from the Bay Area, but she goes to UCLA, so she has some ties to Los Angeles, but I think ultimately, I wanted to paint something that not only inspired myself but obviously inspired the U.S., but also inspires the youth.”

The artist was quick to get to work, beginning his project on Tuesday. He admitted that he didn’t get to see Liu’s gold medal performance live but learned about her following her victory, and was moved after hearing more about her.

“What she’s doing is amazing in itself for the sport, but I think her personality and her being true to herself is what really inspired not only myself, but all the social media frenzy,” Zermeño said.

The 20-year-old skated to the top with a performance to Donna Summer’s version of “MacArthur Park,” eliciting thunderous applause from the audience and viewers globally.

As Zermeño learned more about Liu, who is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, he said he almost immediately began to think of where he would cement his next masterpiece. The artist lives roughly in the same area as where he decided to place his mural, adding that the community reflects the Olympian’s background.

“You know, the South Bay, Torrance, Gardena, it’s predominantly an Asian community, so I wanted to do something that represented the community as well as something that inspired me,” Zermeño said. “I think this was the perfect location for that; outside the Bay Area, of course.”

It’s unclear when Zermeño will finish his latest installment, but he’s working quickly with his spray paint.

“It’d be amazing if she sees this, but this is for us,” he said. “This is for the community, to inspire the youth.”

To keep up with Zermeño’s progress on his artwork, click here. The mural is being painted on a wall located at 15532 Crenshaw Blvd. in Gardena.

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