Bay Area’s celebration of Alysa Liu now includes massive Oakland mural

The Bay Area’s Alysa Liu fever is reaching new heights – 15 feet, to be exact.

The Illuminaries, a local graffiti artist group, designed and painted a mural in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood on Friday and Saturday to celebrate the Olympic Gold Medalist. Liu, born in Richmond and raised in Oakland, became the first American woman to win a gold medal in figure skating since 2002. She’s also quickly become one of the most beloved athletes in the country between her accomplishments, the lovable personality she’s shown on and off the ice and, of course, her iconic halo-dyed hair.

The mural takes the love that Liu showed Oakland and the Bay Area in the Olympics and gives it right back to her. Sitting on the corner of 43rd St. and Temescal Ave., the focal point is the already classic image of Liu doing the thizz face – the expression popularized by Bay Area rap legend Mac Dre – while holding up her gold medal. Surrounding her are green and gold accents in an homage to the departed Oakland A’s, and the phrase “Shout out Oakland” next to her.

“She reps the Bay,” Steve Ha, Illuminaries co-founder, told SFGATE on Friday at the mural site. “She shouted out Oakland, like her demeanor and all that just screams the Bay. For us to embrace that and paint this is inspirational, not just for us, but for the United States.”

Ha and his partners are no strangers to painting famous Bay Area athletes mimicking Mac Dre. Over a decade ago, the Illuminaries created a mural of Steph Curry doing a thizz face, complete with a Mac Dre afro and all, that put them on the map as local artists.

Liu’s hype train has shown no signs of slowing down. On Thursday, Fentons Creamery, which has already promised the figure skater “ice cream for life,” announced a new flavor dedicated to her gold medal-winning performance in Milan called “Alysa’s Gold.” It’s caramel ice cream with a caramel swirl and golden Oreos folded in.

Later that day, the San Jose Sharks’ mascot, Sharkie, put on a Liu-inspired wig during a first-period stoppage to hype up the crowd during a game against the Flames. He also busted out a sign that read “Y’all Better Turn Up” with a picture of Liu’s thizz face medal pose.

All that’s missing is a celebratory parade that Bay Area fans have been clamoring for since she stepped on the podium in Italy. While there’s no set date yet, the City of Oakland announced Tuesday that there’d be a “community-wide celebration” in her honor soon. Ha thinks these celebrations, including his group’s mural, are the least she deserves.

“We need more heroes that are inspirational to the youth,” he said. “It’s a lot of craziness going on, and her winning that gold medal is like a W for us.”