Agana - Art, Activism & Oakland

The Bay Area soil grows exceptional graffiti artists, DJs, jewelry makers, educators, clothing designers, and 3D animators. But it's a rare person who can call themselves all of these things. Oakland's Vanessa "Agana" Solari Espinoza is one such individual.

Agana is an East Oakland graffiti artist and a member of a women's artist collective called Few and Far. She's also an emcee, a 3D visual effects animator, a jewelry maker, and an activist. She describes herself as a "multi-dimensional contemporary mural artist." 

Her murals have transformed the Oakland landscape, bringing vibrant life back to overlooked urban spaces. Her art bursts with bold pictorial imagery, audacious aesthetics, and bright colors, firmly rooted in her Venezuelan roots and Latinx identity. Agana challenges the notion of who and what gets to take up space in our public imagination. 

Agana started painting illegal graffiti when she was eleven. It was an act of rebellion that introduced her to an urban arts organization called Visual Element hosted at the East Side Arts Alliance. Visual Element had a profoundly positive impact on her life. It was here that she learned how art can build community and change a neighborhood. 

Today, Agana is leveraging her notoriety to pay it forward, working as an educator and a mentor with Oakland's disenfranchised urban youth. She helps them tell their stories, channel their emotions into art, and raise awareness about the issues they're facing in their communities. Most importantly, she helps them dream about how they'll contribute to Oakland's bright future.

We feel privileged to collaborate with Agana in creating this transformative collection of tees.

Read More: Oaklandish Blog

Shop Collection: Agana X Oaklandish