San Jose muralist uses talent to transform boarded-up businesses

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A San Jose muralist is using his talent to bring life to vacant buildings and boarded-up businesses and windows in downtown. 

Jorge Camacho, 24,  said he wanted to provide simple messages of inspiration and hope in the city he grew up in.

“It’s nice to feel comfort and it's nice to support each other,” said Camacho. “I think during these times we are now seeing that more than ever.”

His artist’s name is “j.duh” and he’s been painting in his native San Jose professionally for the last three years.

His first mural was commissioned by tech giant Oracle that said “Greetings San Jose.”

Jorge Camacho, 24, said he wanted to provide simple messages of inspiration and hope in the city he grew up in.

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“The amount of feedback and positivity I got from that mural made me want to do more,” said Camacho.

Since the pandemic, Camacho has lost several projects and hasn't been able to sell his art at street fairs and festivals. Like many artists nowadays, he displayed his work on social media.

It caught the eye of the owners of Paper Moon Café, who asked him to decorate their window on North Second Street. Earlier this month, Camacho painted “Tough times, tougher people.”

“I was just so tired of seeing everyone worried about the negatives that is going on right now,” said Camacho. “Just to let people know it's ok and things will get better.”

Now, several windows of vacant buildings in downtown San Jose have been transformed with Camacho’s art like a snail that reads “Slow times” and a pigeon with the caption, “Where’d they go.”

“I try to do witty works of art that make someone passing by crack a smile hopefully,” said Camacho.

“Stay strong San Jose is definitely a message of hope that we are all saying right now,” said Ashley Pourroy of Urban Community, a real estate firm that requested this current project.

“Times are tough but knowing that we have a fantastic community and everyone is in this together speaks volumes,” said Pourroy.

Camacho’s artwork is free. He accepts donations. He uses one-shot enamel paint similar to automotive paint and sticks to one color to keep costs down. He knows these window splashes may be temporary but hopes the messages are long-lasting.

The idea of creating art on boarded up businesses is gaining popularity happening in other big cities like Seattle and San Francisco.