December 16, 2020
Art Exposed: Demetris ‘BAMR’ Washington
Comstock’s Magazine
By: Shoka
A balloon-shaped apple, orange, pomegranate and soccer ball float up the side of The California Endowment’s towering brick wall in downtown Sacramento. The mural, made by Demetris “BAMR” Washington in 2014, is one of many the artist has painted in the Capital Region, as well as in Palo Alto and Los Angeles. Originally from Oakland, Washington, 30, moved from Stockton to Sacramento in 2009 to attend The Art Institute of California (now closed). His work is inspired by graffiti, cartoons and his faith in Christianity, the latter of which was also the inspiration for his alias: BAMR is short for Becoming a Man Righteously.
The full-time artist has worked in a studio at the Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood since 2015. Besides murals, he also makes paintings on panel and creates merchandise like hoodies, rolling trays and pillows that he sells online, though he says he supplements his income “every now and then” with a day job for a few months, “usually around the holidays,” for extra money to buy gifts. Over the years, he’s painted murals for the Sacramento Kings, Downtown Commons, Broadway Coffee, and Slim & Husky’s Pizza, and, in 2015, one of his images was among 20 chosen in a national contest to be printed on limited edition labels of Blue Moon beer. Washington was also the artist who was asked to paint “Black Lives Matter” along the yellowed greenbelt on Capitol Avenue in June 2020.
The project came together quickly, with Councilman Steve Hansen calling Shira Lane, founder of Sacramento nonprofit Atrium, June 5 to recommend an artist to paint it in time for the Black Lives Matter protest taking place the following day, and Lane asked Washington. Hansen provided $2,500 from his campaign funds for the many gallons of black paint needed, and Washington says the three-block long temporary painting was done in about five hours, with help from around 300 volunteers.