Nicolina Gallo is an honors undergraduate

of UC Berkeley who completed her

graduate and post-graduate work in Johns

Hopkins Museum Studies and Digital

Curation program. She spent several years

living abroad in Palestine working with Humanitarian Aid organizations, based in Beit Sahour, Ramallah, and East Jerusalem. She has lived in 13 individual countries on 4 continents but ultimately returned to her native San Francisco and, in 2022, received her degree from UC Berkeley in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, with a focus on Museology and Palestinian Cultural Heritage. She believes that travel is the only

real truth, but acknowledges that there is no home like SF and the Bay.

 

This site initially came about from a UC Berkeley Curatorial project however the curatorial work Nicolina  pursued at Johns Hopkins also centered on street art within the Middle East and North Africa. Gazaleh's art was a highlight of her research due to the unique element of sincerity combined with the natural talent she found within it.  The fact that Gazaleh has never had any formal training is astonishing , as is the ease with which he continues to live and work in San Francisco as both a Palestinian-American and an artist. His contributions to the SF Public Arts scene are particularly impressive and she hopes to continue this site as his career continues to grow. The humanity he puts into his work is, first and foremost, the most noble and remarkable characteristic. Art expressing benevolence within conflict is of the utmost importance at this time in history.