Paul Madonna Opens Solo Show in San Francisco
The artist's first gallery show in more than a decade runs through Dec. 3 at Nelson Duni on Bartlett Street.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Fine Art
Paul Madonna has opened a solo gallery show, "We Came Here to See," at Nelson Duni in San Francisco, his first gallery exhibition in more than a decade. The show is an expansive survey of his work and coincides with the release of his book "From Life."
Why it matters
The exhibition marks a new chapter for Madonna following his recovery from a car crash in 2022, and it centers on recent San Francisco cityscape drawings. It also includes portraiture created during his recovery, offering a view of the work he produced during that period.
The show is a works-on-paper exhibition open noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with free admission. Madonna's book "From Life" is his first biographical work in 30 years, and his "All Over Coffee" comic ran in the Chronicle from 2004 to 2015.
The players
Paul Madonna
Paul Madonna is a San Francisco artist and cartoonist known for his "All Over Coffee" comic published in the Chronicle.
Nelson Duni
Nelson Duni is a San Francisco gallery at 35 Bartlett St. that is hosting the exhibition.
The details
The title work depicts the gallery through palm trees across Bartlett Street, and the show includes studies and ephemera that illustrate Madonna's creative process. The exhibition runs through Dec. 3 at Nelson Duni, 35 Bartlett St., San Francisco.
Timeline
Madonna's "All Over Coffee" comic was published in the Chronicle from 2004 to 2015.
Madonna was in a major car crash in 2022, beginning his recovery.
The show runs through Dec. 3 at Nelson Duni.
Market Landscape
Madonna's cityscape work connects his earlier comic chronicling of San Francisco life to the fine-art gallery market. The return to gallery exhibition after more than a decade places his drawings in the city's ongoing tradition of local artists documenting their neighborhoods.
Admission to the exhibition at Nelson Duni is free, and it is open noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Dec. 3. Readers can see the works in person at 35 Bartlett St. in San Francisco.
The takeaway
Madonna's return to solo gallery exhibition after more than a decade shows how an artist's long-running documentation of a city can carry into a new medium. Those interested in San Francisco art can see the work in person through Dec. 3.
Further reading
Explore more fine art coverage for other exhibitions and artists in the region.
More information
Find exhibition details on the Nelson Duni gallery website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Francisco Chronicle.
