Meet the Muralist: David Gauna
Chicago serves as the canvas for the PrEP4Teens project, and at the heart of this artistic endeavor is the talented David M. Gauna. David sports many hats around the city, but at PrEP4Teens he is one of the project’s brilliant muralists working to highlight the perspectives of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ youth in his creations. His artwork portrays a better world, and his message to teens is empowering.
David is currently the Professional Development Specialist at After School Matters, where he designs workshops for adult youth educators, aiming to enhance their ability to support teenagers. From his HIV prevention and PrEP efforts to advocacy work for the Latinx LGBTQ+ organization ALMA Chicago, it is no surprise that David maintains strong relationships across multiple communities.
“Art is a form of activism for me.”
He dove into art professionally just four years ago, but art has followed David his whole entire life. The comic books and dinosaurs he doodled as a kid carried on with him in his many roles. It’s clear that David’s journey to becoming an artist has been a natural evolution. Now, he's dedicated to merging his passion for art with his work in advocacy.
Collaborating with 12 youth at TaskForce this past September, David led a PrEP4Teens mural creation workshop which involved self-reflection, group discussion, and lots of creativity. Each participant created a “mood board” with their visual ideas for a PrEP social marketing campaign, including tag lines. They shared their work with each other and discussed what they liked about each mood board. David was on hand to provide inspiration and mentorship along the way.
“It was great to see them find a safe space within our workshop,” David said.
One thing to look out for in the mural that was inspired by the TaskForce workshop is David’s use of haloes, which serve to celebrate the time they spent together and imbue the young people with saint-like qualities. Through multiple drafts and revisions, David found a style for the mural that struck a balance between staying true to his artistic style and honoring the teen perspectives and inputs.
“I think it’s not about creating something that makes you want to get on PrEP, but instead makes you question ‘What is it?’ [...] I think there’s power in making you pause for a moment.”
David believes that art can inspire reflection; he’s seen it happen in his own life. Art is not only for sharing stories. Art is not only for sharing history. For David, art is a moment to get viewers to contemplate deeper questions. He believes curiosity is a tool for individuals to make informed decisions. Maybe David’s art can help you start honest conversations with others about what it means to practice safe sex.
So, where can you see David's amazing artwork? Look no further than the windows of TaskForce at 9 North Cicero in Austin, where the PrEP4Teens mural, “Let PrEP Be Your Safety Net”, makes for a captivating display.
And PrEP4Teens is cooking up something new with David and ALMA this spring. They will be engaging Latine/x LGBTQ+ youth in a multi-week art program designed for young people aged 17 to 24. The program will foster individual artistic skills, promote community building, share information on sexual health and PrEP, and connect art to advocacy. When applications open for this program, you’ll be able to find info on the blog and our socials.
Like this article? Read more about PrEP, sexual health, community, and other fun stuff on our blog.
