Transcript for Primera Parte: Artistas Seleccionados para la Competencia de la calle Valencia

I'm Misako Inaoka. People know me as Misa.

I just turned 32. I'm an artist.

I was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan.

And I moved when I was almost 16 to the United States

I didn't speak much English

So when I first came,

and people would say 'what's up?', I had no idea what they were saying.

I've lived at the same place in the Mission since 2002

and then just got accepted into it, so I'm still here.

It's everything: the people who've lived there,

a family is an artist who lived there and shopped

and eat and creat art in the same place.

I think that's why it has such a unique energy.

Well, I'm shy and not very linguistic, I think.

That's been a big part of the reason why I've always made artwork

My work is influenced by my environment.

The Mission influences my work, I feel I really pay attention.

I see little plants and flowers grow in like a tiny

space between sidewalks and cracks and they're stuck trying to live.

I feel this urge they want to come out but there's no space. And that's my work.

It's part of nature or greens, plants and animals try to survive

and they still try to coexist with this urban area.

And, become a hybrid. The mutants may have the advantage to survive.

So, I started making more extreme hybrids combining different species

of different animals and plants.

Valencia street changed so much that I feel it's a little too gentrified.

And I really want to help to keep it more local

...a unique area.

I don't know what's the regulation for this project,

but I'm hoping to have something that represents nature.

I don't want my work just to be rigid like a statue.

I'd be happy if I can do this project because

that means I can contribute to this community.

And by changing the environment a little more pleasing place.

I feel like I may be able to give a little bit of happiness.

That'll make me really happy.