When muralist and painter Aaron De La Cruz arrived at art school at California College of Arts and Craft, he had trouble believing that he belonged there. Cruz grew up in Fresno tagging walls and not quite believing art could be an actual career.
Now his pieces adorns walls from Los Angeles to Taiwan, and his paintings, illustrations and sculptures both fulfill his passion and pay the bills. He sat down with KALW’s Jen Chien to talk about how he's managed to bring together his two worlds of high art and a working class identity.
De La Cruz: They really didn't know how to foster or encourage me to pursue art as a career. It was like ok cool you got a scholarship. We'll see you in a few years back here in Fresno.
Click the audio player above to listen to the complete interview.
You can see one of his most recent murals in the Excelsior neighborhood in San Francisco, at the corner of Mission and Onondaga Streets
