From the Heart to the Wall: An Urban Artist's Journey
Welcome to another episode of Urban Artist Talk with your host, Andre Jamora. In this heartfelt session, we sit down with muralist David Burke, whose art adorns the streets of Oakland and the Bay Area. From iconic stadium murals to deeply personal public tributes, David shares the emotional and creative journey behind his decades-long career in public art.
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The Call that Changed the Day
David recounts a day painting in San Pablo when a flurry of calls warned him of an incident involving a muralist in West Oakland. It was the tragic shooting of Antonio Ramos, a young artist who had eagerly joined David's mural team years earlier.
That moment of fear and uncertainty transformed into reflection and eventually a deeper commitment to honoring Antonio through art.
“If I'm going to keep doing this work,”
David says, “I have to bring the same love and passion that Antonio brought every day.”
Seeds of Inspiration
David’s roots in mural art stretch back to 1983, when a broken wrist took him past a freeway giraffe mural by Dan Fontes in Oakland.
“For a second, I forgot the pain,”
he recalls. Those early visual imprints, including Danielle Galvez's Grand Performance, planted the seeds that later pulled him into the world of large-scale public art.
Oakland Artist Gayla and Recognition
Oakland Artist Gayla and Recognition
David was honored at the 2022 Oakland Artist Gayla, a night where muralists shed their paint gear for evening wear to be celebrated. The Bay Area Mural Program (BAMP) organized the event to honor creatives like David who’ve invested decades beautifying the community.
“They see it,” David reflects, moved by the recognition.
The Joy and Gear of Public Art
From the heights of boom lifts to the craftsmanship of worn-down brushes, David describes the physicality and gear-laden nature of mural work. Despite the challenges, he loves every bit: the scale, the spontaneity, and even the steel-toe boots.
“Home Depot became my Toys R Us,”
he jokes, referring to his excitement over tools and paint gear.
Finding Family in the Art World
Collaboration is a core theme for David. From working with Poncho Pescador to mentoring up-and-coming artists, David likens mural making to assembling a band: “Not everyone has to play lead guitar.”
Hungry Ghost: A Persona and Philosophy
David explains his alter ego, Hungry Ghost, which emerged as a way to channel his studio and mural identities. Rooted in Buddhist philosophy, it represents the ever-hungry creative spirit and the internal voices artists must learn to live with, not silence.
Love Letters and Living Legacy
David’s Love Letter series is his passion project, aiming to honor Oakland's artists while they’re still alive. The passing of figures like Michael Morgan and Hung Liu turned some pieces into tribute murals, but David stresses the importance of celebrating talent in the now:
“Let them feel the love while they can.”
Showing Up, Even When It Hurts
Longevity in art, David says, is about showing up: “Even when you're not feeling it, show up.” He talks about the necessity of perseverance through rejection and the quiet seasons where projects stall. “Art happens in cycles,” he reminds us. “Seasons change.”
A Community of Visual Conversations
In closing, David reflects on how murals become daily conversations with the city: “Even if we've never sat down, we've been talking for 10 years through our art.” The Bay is a special place, a canvas of connection, struggle, joy, and triumph. And through artists like David Burke, that canvas keeps expanding.
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