Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story
Raffaele Annunziata | Palestine
Photographer: Raffaele Annunziata
Exhibit Title: Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story
Location: Palestine
Between Naples and Gaza. A Childhood Story is a collaborative photo essay by Raffaele Annunziata (tylerdurdan*), from Naples, and Gaza-based photographer Mahmoud Abu Al-Qaraya.
Through parallel images, it tells the everyday lives of two little girls — Raffaele’s daughter Dede and Soso, Mahmoud’s niece — showing that childhood should be universal: waking up, going to school, playing, smiling. Scenes that are simple in Naples become almost impossible in Gaza.
Raffaele Annunziata (aka tylerdurdan*)
My photography begins where everyday life cracks open, where the ordinary reveals its fracture. Growing up in the Neapolitan hinterland, I carry a vision that blends urban aesthetics with political tension: my images are a visual chronicle of what resists, of what survives the rubble—whether literal or metaphorical.
I shoot to restore dignity to small stories, anonymous gestures, to the edges that often speak louder than the center. My work is driven by an ethical urgency: to photograph is to choose, to take responsibility. With the project Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story, I intertwined my gaze with that of Palestinian photographer Mahmoud Abu Qaraya, creating a bridge of light between two childhoods—geographically distant yet politically close: a Naples suspended between folklore and consumption, a Gaza wounded yet unbroken.
Every frame is a declaration of presence, a way of saying that life happens—despite everything. I work with natural light and embrace imperfection, the untamed detail, because I believe truth lives in the in-between.
My photography is meant to be an emotional archive for the future, a place where memory is not neutral but takes a stand.
Official website:
https://www.betweengazaandnaples.org/
Raffaele Annunziata
Seed Media Agency / tylerdurdan*
www.tylerdurdan.com
tylerdurdan10@gmail.com
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Mahmoud Abu Al-Qaraya
Instagram: @mhqee
I’m pleased to share with you my latest collaborative project, Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story, created together with Gaza-based photographer Mahmoud Abu Al-Qaraya.
This work tells the parallel lives of two little girls "my daughter Dede in Naples and Soso, Mahmoud’s niece, in Gaza "through a visual narrative that follows their day: waking up, going to school, playing, smiling. The aim is to remind us that childhood is a universal right, while revealing how daily gestures we take for granted can become almost impossible under siege.
We would be honored if you considered it for publication or exhibition.
This project also supports the campaign “Mahmoud Loves Photography, Family & Life ❤️”, which helps Mahmoud and his family rebuild their lives.
Thank you for your time and attention.
I would be happy to provide additional material or high-resolution images if needed.
Official website:
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