{"id":201159,"date":"2026-03-02T22:16:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T22:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/201159\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T22:16:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T22:16:26","slug":"major-mural-of-oakland-olympic-champ-alysa-liu-goes-up-in-temescal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/201159\/","title":{"rendered":"Major mural of Oakland Olympic champ Alysa Liu goes up in Temescal"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the weeks since Oakland figure skater Alysa Liu climbed to the top of the medal stand, winning gold at the Winter Olympics in Milan<\/a>, she\u2019s been dominating network talk shows and social media chatter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the past few days, artwork celebrating the champion has begun cropping up<\/a> around the country. LA muralist Gustavo Zerme\u00f1o Jr. put one up on Crenshaw Boulevard<\/a> in Gardena. After Zerme\u00f1o posted images of the mural in progress<\/a>, speculation mounted about whether Oakland muralists would step up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By noon on Thursday, three crew members from the Bay Area urban street art collective, The Illuminaries<\/a>, Steve Ha, Tim Hon, and Eric Nodara, had begun work<\/a> on a mural in Temescal, at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just love to inspire youth with our murals and art,\u201d Hon told The Oaklandside. \u201cThings 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 \u2014 we are paying for the paint.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AlysaThe Illuminaries crew members Steve Ha (left) and Eric Nodora began working on the mural honoring Alysa Liu on Thursday. Credit: Jerome Parmer for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"AlysaThe Illuminaries are known for their work honoring Oakland cultural and sports figures. Credit: Jerome Parmer for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

The wall they chose previously featured another Illuminaries mural depicting the Golden State Warriors\u2019 Klay Thompson<\/a>. That mural, Hon said, was fading, and it was the perfect time to give the wall new life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By Friday afternoon, the trio of Illuminaries was well into making the massive 15-foot-tall mural. The inspiration was a Feb. 19 post on X by graphic designer Derreck Johnson, better known as Dee Phunk. \u201cIf there was ever a doubt where Alysa Liu is from,\u201d he wrote,<\/a> above side-by-side photos of Liu and Vallejo rapper Mac Dre making \u201cthizz faces.\u201d Mac Dre popularized the teeth-grinding facial gesture during the 2000s Hyphy Era.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Liu\u2019s 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<\/a>, saying that although she\u2019s lived in many cities in the Bay Area, she considers Oakland her hometown and still resides here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mural is sprayed painted in the urban street art style the collective is known for. In 2015, the group paid homage to Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry with another interpretation of the \u201cthizz face.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Curious passersby stopped by the mural in progress as the trio sprinted to complete it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here because I believe this is a very good thing for Oakland,\u201d someone who said he goes by Vinny told The Oaklandside. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy that we have a gold medal athlete here in the Town. It\u2019s great that we\u2019re supporting local athletes!\u201d<\/p>\n

The artists had finished the mural by Friday evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Liu is the first U.S. woman to win an individual Olympic medal in figure skating since Sasha Cohen won silver in 2006. City officials have said that Oakland is planning a celebration to honor Liu<\/a> in the coming weeks; details have not been released.<\/p>\n

\"AlysaThe crew puts the finishing touches on the mural. Credit: Jerome Parmer for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"AlysaThe Illuminaries crew, from left to right, Ha, Tim Hon, and Nodora, pose in front of the completed mural. Credit: Jerome Parmer for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"AlysaPassersby stopped by the mural in progress as the mural neared completion.\u00a0Credit: Jerome Parmer for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

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