Christina Gualy was inspired by her Cuban immigrant grandfather who taught her how to draw and paint. When he suddenly passed away when she was 14, she took his paintbrushes from his studio and did her first painting as a way to feel close to him. She still uses his paintbrushes today.

1. Christina Gualy

2. “My grandfather was a painter. An
immigrant from Cuba, he was a
master of the old school; he
excelled at precise and realistic
portraits. He taught me how to
hold a pencil, how to write, and
later, how to draw. When I was
14, he died suddenly, and just a
few weeks later I took his
paintbrushes from his studio and
did my first painting. I still use
his paintbrushes.”

3. Frida Kahlo, another one of Christina’s biggest inspirations.

4. We asked Christina what
kind of food truck she’d
own, if she had one. “I
grew up eating a lot of
Cuban food thanks to my
wonderful Cuban cook of
a mother, so I would
probably design it to look
like a little food shack
storefront in Havana.”
Sounds yummy to us!

5. The signature dish on her food truck? Probably her grandmother’s arroz con pollo.
(She couldn’t share the exact recipe with us, since it is a Gualy family secret)

6. Last fun fact about Christina.
Her favorite color. Definitely
Blue she says “so many shades
to love”

7. Want to learn more about Christina?
She’ll be at OtG: Fort Mason Center
8/15 and also with us at the Off the
Grid Booth at SF Street Food Festival
2014 next Saturday!