Estria was born in Hawaii. Estria is an internationally recognized muralist and the cofounder and creative director of the Estria Foundation (TEF). It is a nonprofit organization using art in public to transform communities and at the same time bring attention to community issues. Estria graduated from ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1986 and got a BFA in illustration from both the University of San Francisco and the Academy of Art College in 1992.
Estria began spray painting in Hawaii in 1984, and he has completed almost one thousand murals worldwide. His murals have influenced the “Golden Age” of graffiti writing (the 1980s) in San Francisco. He pioneered spray painting techniques and was instrumental in the development of the stencil tip.
In a collaboration called “Water Writes,” the foundation launched an eleven-city series of murals, including cities in the Philippines, Palestine, and South Africa, to raise awareness of critical water issues, such as the importance of safe drinking water. The mural below was the one to launch the series.
“Water Writes” in Los Angeles
Haunts:
- Estria spends time in Honolulu, San Francisco, and Oakland. When he is in Hawaii, Estria visits Hawaiian communities. Hawaii is where he had co-founded the Estria Foundation, launched the Mele Murals program, and volunteers with 808 Urban.
- Estria moved to San Francisco and began developing new spray painting techniques. He founded the first urban art class at a San Francisco high school, where attendance was 100%. Estria also teaches in a Precita Eyes program. Precita Eyes is a community-based nonprofit mural and arts education group located in the Mission District (2981 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110). Here is a picture of the organization below.
- Estria founded two well-known organizations in the East Bay. Samurai Graphix is a screen-printing company located in San Leandro. Another organization that Estria founded is Tumis Design, which is located in Oakland (1633 Broadway, Suite B, Oakland, CA 94612), to serve nonprofits and foundations. Estria also co-founded Visual Element, a free program at the EastSide Arts Alliance. The EastSide Arts Alliance (2277 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606) is pictured below.
~ by Addrienne Williams ~
External Links:
https://www.bombingscience.com/interview-estria-miyashiro/
http://www.artispower.org/2018/changing-reality-creativity/
https://hanahou.com/15.1/from-punk-to-pro
