Iconic Oakland artist behind beloved giraffe mural dies at age 67

OAKLAND, Calif. - His desire to make a difference in the world was what inspired him to create, and through his work, Dan Fontes did make a difference, often in the most subtle but profound ways, with his public art and larger-than-life murals that left people feeling something. 

The renowned Oakland muralist died on Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 67.  

Giraffes and zebras 

Perhaps his best-known works are his animal murals that have been up for decades: the towering giraffes, known as Giraphics, painted under Interstate 580 near Oakland’s Harrison exit, and his zebras that live under I-580 on Broadway at 34th Street, both of which originally went up in the 1980s.

Local perspective:

In the artist’s statement on his website, he said that he hoped to use his paintings for a wide range of actions, including environmental activism, to showcase diversity, express "longstanding concern and appreciation" for Oakland, and to highlight local history. 

"I seek a sense of timelessness and resonance," he said of his public pieces. 

Beyond Oakland, his murals have adorned walls in other Bay Area cities, including Berkeley, Hayward, Concord, and San Francisco. 

Tributes to the artist 

Fontes’ expansive community of fellow artists, admirers and friends are mourning the passing of a man being described as a one-of-a-kind, legendary, and talented artist who left his mark on this city he loved, making it a more beautiful place to live.

Fellow artist Kristi Holohan helped with the restoration of both the giraffe and zebra murals in 2016. 

Holohan said on Monday she was able to be by Fontes’ side along with his longtime partner Julie Lucchesi. 

In an email with KTVU, Holohan shared a moving and touching tribute to her friend and teacher, a man who would become like a second father, as she said words do not suffice to describe the impact he had.

What they're saying:

"For those of us lucky enough to know him, he was never just one thing. He was an artist, a mentor, a builder of community and, to many of us, something even more personal: a steady guide, a confidant, and a friend who felt like family," Holohan shared.

She said she studied painting with Fontes for more than a decade. She assisted him on a number of projects and said she was privileged to watch the artist’s "depth of intention" with each piece.

"Dan’s work was inseparable from his values. A dedicated environmentalist, he used his art to spark awareness and wonder about the natural world. His murals, especially his iconic giraffes, rendered with striking life and care in oils brought both beauty and meaning into public spaces," Holohan said. "Dan believed fiercely that art should belong to everyone." 

Supported emerging artists

As his art was woven into the fabric of his community, so was he an integral, interlaced part of the local artists’ community.

"He uplifted emerging artists, encouraged experimentation, and created spaces where creativity could thrive without barriers," according to Holohan. 

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She recalled the moment she told her mentor that she was moving out of the area.

"I will always remember sitting together over dim sum during one of our regular foodie outings, when I told him I had accepted a job in the Northeast. He protested, half-serious and half-smiling, insisting I couldn’t leave, that I was part of Oakland’s vibrant arts scene," Holohan shared. "Beneath that moment was something deeper: his belief in people, in place, and in the importance of staying connected to what we help build." 

Widespread impact

Even those who did not know of him have been touched by his work.

On Sunday, friend John Sheridan posted that Fontes was in hospice care. 

"I see Dan's fine mural work all over Oakland and it seems like he has always been here. That he is nearing the end is very heartbreaking," Sheridan wrote on Facebook.  

Tributes poured in both from those who knew Fontes and those who had just learned that the artist was behind the familiar, beloved murals they had passed countless times.  

"Never knew who made them but always loved the giraffes!" Facebook user Maya Fink commented.

"I loved his freeway support giraffes and often wondered who did them. I'm so sorry to see his life work end with his passing," Brian McCrea wrote. 

Rachel Campos de Ivanov reacted, "Nooooo!!!!! I am so saddened to hear this news. Dan’s giraffes have brightened my journeys in Oakland for decades. He has brought beautiful work to Alameda. He’s a local treasure." 

And as art can do, memories were evoked.   

"I saw the giraffes for the first time back in 2018 when I was on my way to Alta Bates to see my husband after his triple bypass. Such wonderful and whimsical artwork," wrote Debra Farinha on Sheridan's post.

"What a legacy he’s made, creating worlds of wonder all around our urban environment. As a child, I loved encountering the giraffes from out of the grays of the freeways on our commutes," Lyvi Saal recalled. 

Pinball enthusiast

Fontes, who was also described as a lover of games and someone who appreciated nostalgia, was a prominent figure in the Bay Area pinball community. 

He was a longtime board member of the Pacifica Pinball Museum in Alameda. He’s behind the fun and colorful murals that adorn the walls at the non-profit's Webster Street site. 

"You can enjoy some of Dan's canvas pinball murals in our Alameda Museum, as well as at Musee Mecanique and Free Gold Watch in San Francisco," PPM wrote Tuesday on social media, after hearing the news of his passing. "Dan was also responsible for the massive wall art on both sides of our History Room that greets our patrons upon museum entry every day. Our deepest condolences go out to Dan's longtime partner Julie."

Hospitalized in March

In March, Fontes’ partner of 28 years, Julie Lucchesi, set up a GoFundMe for him, after he fell seriously ill. 

"He developed an abscess in his lower left lung and spent 11 days in the hospital," she wrote on the crowdfunding site.

Lasting legacy

Those who knew him said his legacy lives on in the lasting spirit of his art.

His works of fine art date back to 1981, according to his website, and they include paintings in public spaces as well as privately commissioned pieces throughout the Western U.S. 

And he collaborated on numerous projects.

"Dan showed up with generosity and enthusiasm," Holohan said. "When invited to paint among some of the Bay Area’s leading and emerging graffiti artists, he added one of his beloved giraffes a quiet but unmistakable signature of his spirit." 

Unifying force 

Both beyond and through his art, he's being celebrated and remembered as a unifying force.

"Dan knew how to bring people together. He loved his friends fully and celebrated them often," Holohan said. 

She said, along with the sadness of his passing, what made the loss even more difficult, was her belief that the city failed to give her friend the recognition and support he deserved for the meaningful impact he made on his community. 

"Oakland, for all its richness, does not always celebrate its treasures while they are still here. That truth makes this loss feel even heavier," she reflected.

Still, she called Fontes’ legacy "undeniable," with his presence still here, all around us in multiple ways.

"It lives on in the murals that color the city, in the artists he mentored, in the communities he helped shape, and in the countless lives he touched with his generosity, wisdom, and humor," Holohan said. "He will be missed deeply, remembered vividly, and carried forward in every act of creativity and kindness he inspired."

Details on a memorial for Dan Fontes are expected to be announced later. 

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