I have seen this "Become Your Dream" image many times before but it was recently brought to my attention by classmates of mine that this term was coined by street artist, De La Vega. I didn't even know who James De La Vega was a couple of days ago despite the fact that he's been around for quite a few years now. Some consider his work to be graffiti, others put him in a whole different category. A few years back, he was charged with vandalism because of a mural he drew on a blank wall in the Bronx. He had to perform 50 hours of community service because he wouldn't admit that his artwork was destructive. Vega is known for creating public murals and chalk drawings. These creations usually include insightful words just as 'Become Your Dream' and the image below..
De la Vega has a store in NYC called De La Vega Museum, located on St. Mark's Place in the East Village along with three others in Tokyo, Paris, and Italy. I haven't been to his NYC location yet but I definitely plan to now that I've learned more about him. He focuses on the youth, especially inner-city youth. When interviewed by CareerCookbook.com in 2006, he stated "I am not as interested in the adults who are the ones with money. Ultimately young people are the most important piece of the whole thing. The reason I do what I do with my art is because I am trying to inspire people to be powerful and make change."
He also has a powerful stance on women that I can appreciate; "Women are the buyers, they know how to make business grow. Guys are retarted. Women are communicators."- from an interview with Vane Lifestyle
De La Vega outside of his store in NYC.
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