Mike Bam Tyau, Battle Director
mike@estriabattle.com
@miketyau
Bam is a graphic designer and computer animator with roots in graffiti art as one of the original kings of Hawai’i. A founding member of the Hawai’i graffiti union Masters in Art, Bam later moved to San Francisco in the mid-80′s. With the Together With Style crew, Bam was an active muralist through the early 90s. Since then he has worked in the videogame industry for Sega and PlayStation, as well as running his own computer animation company, Secret Weapon, Inc. In recent years, Bam has returned to art, working on both his own murals and as director for the Estria Battle.
*Contact Mike for all partner and sponsorship opportunities.
Estria Miyashiro, Co-founder
estria@estria.org
Estria Miyashiro has been spray painting for over 29 years, and is recognized around the world as a graffiti art living legend. As an elder in an arts movement that is arguably more influential than the classical renaissance, he is acknowledged as a valued historian, and also a community leader who is helping to awaken the social and political consciousness of graffiti art.
Originally from Honolulu, Estria moved to The Bay Area in the 1980’s during San Francisco’s “Golden Age Of Graffiti.” He is credited with pioneering important painting techniques, and is the originator of the “stencil tip.” His murals are known to be whimsical, cultural, political, and vibrant, with a focus and dedication to uplift the communities they serve. His graffiti art background has led him to produce innovative projects as an educator, entrepreneur, and social activist. From the city streets, to executive suites, Estria has worked with numerous non-profit organizations, as well as high profile corporations. In 2007, he co-founded the “Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle”, a nationwide urban art competition that honors and advances creativity in the Hip Hop arts. In 2010 He co-founded the Estria Foundation, a community-based organization dedicated to lasting systemic and social change.
Jason Mateo, Co-founder
jason@estriabattle.com
Born in San Francisco during the golden age of hip-hop, the 1980′s, Jason graduated from San Francisco State’s College of Ethnic Study Asian American Studies Department. Jason is a poet and arts-educator for over 15 years, and was Program Director: Production and Media at Youth Speaks, Inc. and director of SAYS at UC Davis. He is credited with developing Brave New Voices, literary arts non-profits, and teen poetry slams around the USA. A father and husband, Jason is active in the Latino and Filipino communities as a producer and host of various events, such as Asian Heritage Street Festival, Brave New Voices, Pistahan, and the Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle.