Artist Bio

My name is Timothy B., and I am a muralist and designer shaped by generations of family history rooted along the 880—from Fremont to Deep East Oakland.

My work is grounded in the lived experience of Black resilience. My father was incarcerated for the first 23 years of my life, and my mother fought fiercely to show me that there was never anything broken about our family—only strength forged through struggle. We are survivors of the prison industrial complex and the war on drugs, systems designed to dismantle Black communities.

Through vibrant, movement-rich murals, I aim to uplift Black life into a powerful light. My art is inspired by ancestral memory and Afrofuturism—like my Sankofa Warrior piece, which calls us to reflect on the past as a tool for reimagining the future. I believe art is both mirror and prophecy—it reflects where we’ve been and dares us to dream where we can go.

My practice has grown through deep relationships with Oakland’s creative community, work with organizations like the Bay Area Mural Program, and a strong support network that continues to amplify my message. I am especially committed to engaging Black youth in the power of storytelling through public art. By connecting them to Oakland’s radical history, teaching mural techniques, and showing how art can be used as a tool for resistance, I hope to spark a new generation of visionaries who will paint the future they want to live in.

We are still here. We are still dreaming. And through art, we are reclaiming our narrative and making the future undeniable.