The first time I arrived in Oaxaca City for Holy Week, I was fascinated by the colors all over the city. But what I found beautiful about Oaxaca my classmates couldn’t appreciate- it was the graffiti that captured my attention.

Graffiti in Oaxaca has only been around for 7 to 10 years, depending on who you talk to. The first graffiti artists were both rich and poor and came primarily from Mexico City and Puebla. The differences in social class influenced the techniques and styles of graffiti made by the youth. Like many histories of graffiti, young men started tagging- putting their nicknames in every part of the city. Later, bombs and pieces started to cover the wall and with more practice and nightlife, artists formed their crews and developed their styles into murals. For some, graffiti was a moment of rebellion that satisfied the trend of the week, but for many graffiti is a way of life.

For many of the graffiti artists that I know, graffiti was a transition between street art and fine arts, between mixing colors with spray cans to painting with paintbrushes. From looking for walls to paint to making designs for buildings. From designing characters to working in graphic design.

Graffiti artists entered fine arts, architecture and graphic design schools with a passion for painting. But this passion was not just for painting. Many had a passion to give something to the community. While some painted to express their feelings and ideas, others created murals that illustrated themes of history, social problems and injustice as a way of sharing something with the people. The walls were public spaces for these youth to announce what they thought with images and words.

But the graffiti artist continues to be commonly seen as a delinquent with no respect for town property. He is punished for painting with or without permission. He has to pay fines or stay in jail. The people and police look for him day and night, identifying him by the stains on his hands. This is why many graffiti artists have multiple identities, one in public and one in private. 

Why Graffiti?

After the popular movement in Oaxaca, graffiti artists have received a new type of fame in the streets. What is a graffiti artist, artist, revolutionary? This question has many answers depending on who you ask and each answer has value, but what I find interesting are the power relations that separate identities into good and bad/ delinquent and citizen. From my research and observations among various groups of graffiti artists, I have seen the way in which graffiti has touched the lives of many young people here in Oaxaca, both before and during the popular movement.