Peace.  My name is Robert Trujillo (also known as "Tres") , I'm a 29 yr old muralist/illustrator from Oakland California, currently residing in Brooklyn, NY.  Drawing since I was in elementary school, painting on walls since high school, painting canvases since college, and illustrating many stories since I became a father. My cultural background is African American, Korean, Mexican, Apache, Spanish, and probably a lot of others, which I'm still searching for. I'm an artist who believes in utilizing my cultural traditions in visual artwork and oral history to make revolutionary change.

In 2003 I co-founded a collective of muralist/art educator/activists called the “Trust Your Struggle”. Since its formation, we have painted large-scale murals, facilitated workshops for youth organizations and conferences, and installed gallery shows nation wide. Two years ago the folks went to Mexico and Central America on a mural tour and this year we’ve done it again in the U.S..

In 2007 I started an online site called 'Come Bien' Books which focuses on collaboration projects about Black, Latino, and Asian art through short stories, poetry, comics, zines, and children's books. We work with all types of people, but encourage young writers and illustrators of color who are at professional, intermediate, and beginning levels to express their thoughts verbally and visually.

My motivation to do what I do is to be a positive and nurturing influence on my son. It is to honor my ancestors and my family by passing on our visual art traditions, to give, to learn, to challenge the educational system both public and private, and to make sure more artwork that fuses ethnic studies, political commentary, personal history, and dynamic visual styles using a variety of media is prominent, loud, unapologetic, and just what some of us need.

Robert Trujillo/ Tres

Trust Your Struggle Collective

'Come Bien' Books