In our latest installment of Step Off! Radio we interview Oree Originol, the acclaimed Oakland based visual artist behind Justice For Our Lives, an open-source digital portrait series of people who have been killed by U.S. law enforcement. Since 2014, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement Oree’s bold artwork of black and white portraits has served as pivotal instruments in supporting families of those unjustly killed at the hands of police and who are fighting for justice against state-sponsored terrorism in the United States. Over the past six years, Oree’s artwork has been reproduced and disseminated worldwide in public demonstrations, protests, classrooms, art galleries, as street art, and online through numerous social media platforms and websites.
In our discussion, we had the opportunity to talk Oree’s early life growing up in North-East Los Angeles, his experience as a child discovering his artistic talents drawing cartoon figures in school, the gang culture of 90s era Los Angles which permeated his neighborhood which would inspire him to seek recognition as a graffiti artist & increased visibility as a tagger in L.A.’s graffiti scene. As well as his eventual journey into activism following his move to Oakland in 2009 which has ultimately culminated into Justice For Our Lives where he continues developing his art and activism; sharing his skills with the Bay Area community and beyond. With that said, we here at Step Off! Radio hope that you all enjoy our discussion with Oree Originol.
Featured below is our full interview with Oree Originol available through our official SoundCloud page. Apple and Spotify users can listen and subscribe to the Step Off! Radio podcast through the official Apple podcast and Spotify app.
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