“Deeply Rooted” speaks to our wild essence and walks the boundary between modern Oakland culture, ancestry, and nature. I painted my friend Montee, a non-binary artist, activist, and life-long resident of Oakland. I believe it’s important to celebrate people while they are here, not just memorializing them after death. Centering imagery of a non-binary person juxtaposed with street culture is something we don’t often see. Still, it is crucial in re-writing the narrow views we hold around gender and culture.