The Nelson Duni Gallery, located at 35 Bartlett Street in San Francisco, opened its doors to a special exhibition titled “We Came Here to See,” marking the first solo show by celebrated illustrator Paul Madonna in more than ten years. The show runs through December 3 and offers local art lovers a chance to see how the Carnegie‑educated artist has rebuilt his practice after a life‑changing accident in November 2022.
From Accident to Art
Madonna’s near‑fatal crash left him with a damaged carotid artery, a collapsed lung, brain bleeding, and a shattered heel, forcing him to use a cane for mobility. According to gallery staff, the exhibition reflects his belief that “drawing became an internal act of coming back to life.” The pieces on view are all created from 2022 onward, illustrating the illustrator’s physical and creative recovery.
What’s on Display
The show does not include any panels from Madonna’s beloved comic strip “All Over Coffee,” which first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2004. Instead, visitors encounter a range of new works, from a crayon drawing titled “Pink Piranha” (a 1979 piece made when Madonna was 12) to a striking collection of nude life‑sketches that dominate the gallery’s largest wall. Some of the unfinished sketches echo the abstract, Picasso‑like treatment of the human form, while others demonstrate an Escher‑style realism that captures light and shadow with meticulous detail.
Highlights include a topless Black woman reclining on a lounge chair bathed in sunlight, her dark skin set against stark white furniture, and a fully clothed man dressed as the eccentric San Francisco figure Emperor Norton, his feathered hat adding a splash of color. These works reveal Madonna’s intentional use of his signature loose lines; the artist prefers the slightly imperfect strokes, believing that perfectly straight lines would diminish the emotional impact of the images.
Homage to San Francisco
Even without the “All Over Coffee” panels, the exhibition retains the city’s spirit. A triptych of hilltop crosswalk scenes carries the caption, “This is a beautiful place that is not a place, but a feeling.” Another large landscape of Bernal Heights features a whimsical Hollywood‑style sign that reads “DREAM,” a collaborative project by artist Ana Teresa Fernandez.
One sketch portrays a Dogpatch café with the phrase “Go Back to Where You Think You Started” painted on its storefront, underscoring Madonna’s view of San Francisco as both a physical location and an idea that varies from person to person.
The Gallery’s History
The Nelson Duni space itself carries a piece of local history. Housed in the former Barrish Bail Bonds building, the deactivated neon sign still hangs above the entrance, and the gallery’s name is stenciled on the brick façade. Before stepping inside, visitors can see Madonna’s hand‑drawn portrait of the gallery, a playful nod to the artist’s habit of blending reality with imagination.
“We Came Here to See” offers San Francisco residents a chance to witness an artist’s resilience and to celebrate a body of work that continues to capture the city’s ever‑shifting character. The exhibition is free to the public and runs until December 3.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
