Profile: Alex Kurakake

When Alex walked into Los Angeles Trade Tech College in 2011, he was an almost-19-year-old graffiti artist and pizza shop employee with no idea what sign painting was all about. Fast forward ten years and you’ll find a very busy sign painter with his own business, a 1000 sq. ft. shop, an apprentice and plenty of work to keep them busy.

“When I started the class I had very little understanding of sign painting,” he says. “That was before Instagram and I didn’t use Facebook. I had wanted to be a tattoo artist, but typically you have to serve an unpaid 1 to 2 year apprenticeship. I couldn’t afford to do that. About that time my buddy Ian Kyllingstad introduced me to the Sign Graphics program at LA Trade Tech and I signed up.