“One Day, Soso and Dede will meet”
Between Gaza and Naples.
A Childhood Story
The Project
Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story is a collaborative photo essay created by Gaza-based photographer Mahmoud Abu Al-Qaraya, now represented internationally by ZUMA Press (USA), and Naples-based photographer Raffaele Annunziata (tylerdurdan*).
Through parallel images, the project follows the everyday lives of two little girls — Raffaele’s daughter Dede and Soso, Mahmoud’s niece — revealing how childhood should be universal: waking up, going to school, playing, laughing.
Simple, ordinary moments in Naples become fragile, interrupted or nearly impossible in Gaza, where daily life is shaped by siege, displacement and uncertainty.
The project brings these two worlds into dialogue, showing how distance, culture and conflict can separate lives, while also helping to support Mahmoud and his family as they continue to face the daily reality of life in Gaza.
On one side, Mahmoud Abu Al-Qaraya, a 29-year-old photographer from Gaza, who after years of hard work and recognition saw his career and his life shattered by war: his family displaced four times, the loss of his camera — his only working tool — and a daily struggle against hunger, disease, and constant bombardment.
On the other side, Raffaele Annunziata, a Neapolitan photographer and artist known as tylerdurdan*, who for over a decade has combined music, images, and words as a form of cultural resistance, with the aim of denouncing injustice and restoring centrality to what makes us human.
Together, they have chosen to tell — through parallel photographs — the everyday life of two little girls, one in Naples and the other in Gaza. Scenes that appear simple elsewhere (playing, going to school, having breakfast) become almost impossible under siege.
Between Naples and Gaza. A Childhood Story is not only a photographic project, but a narrative and ethical bridge: to give voice to those at risk of being silenced, reminding the world that childhood is a universal right.
The project also supports the campaign “Sosteniamo Mahmoud e la sua famiglia a Gaza”, a concrete appeal to help Mahmoud and his family rebuild their life and his work as a photographer.
Why NOW?
This project is not just a collection of photographs. It is a fragile time capsule of a childhood that may no longer exist in the same way.
It is a reminder that beyond the headlines and numbers, there are children who deserve to grow up with mirrors to brush their teeth in, shoes to go to school with, and beds to fall asleep in at night.
Mahmoud took the photos of his niece Soso just days before being forced to leave his home in northern Gaza.
Today, Mahmoud and Soso are among the thousands displaced, fleeing south in search of safety.
This work may be one of the last photo essays made in Gaza as we once knew it — a testimony of resilience and a call to action.
Download the Reportage
Step into the full story through our PDF edition.
Each page is more than photography — it is a testimony.
By downloading, you are not only bringing the reportage with you, but also standing with Mahmoud and supporting his work in Gaza.
Help Us Amplify This Story
We are looking for curators, galleries, festivals, magazines, and cultural institutions to host exhibitions, publish the work, and give visibility to Mahmoud’s voice.
Every collaboration, every share, every gesture helps keep this story alive.
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Stories, exhibitions, and updates from Naples and Gaza — directly to your inbox.
Every month, we share fragments of childhood — Dede in Naples, Soso in Gaza — and the journey of a project that connects two worlds.
Stay with us, follow the updates, and help us spread this testimony of resilience.
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Together, we can keep these stories alive and give them the visibility they deserve.
When Two Lenses Meet, Stories Become Louder.
SUPPORT US
We are looking for curators, galleries, festivals, cultural institutions, and media outlets interested in exhibiting, publishing, or supporting Between Gaza and Naples. A Childhood Story.
By sharing this project, you help give a voice to Mahmoud Abu Qaraya, who is currently displaced in Gaza with his niece Soso, and keep this story alive in front of new audiences.
Fill out the form and we will get back to you with:
A full press kit and high-resolution images
Exhibition-ready files (print formats available)
Opportunities for interviews and talks
Every collaboration is an act of cultural resistance.