Tala Hammoud Atrouni, a Palestinian Lebanese American, was born in Beirut in 1977. Her passion for art blossomed early, inspired by her father’s calligraphy and poetry. She earned a BA in Fine Arts from the Lebanese American University in 1998, receiving the Sheikh Zayed Gallery award. After moving to San Francisco, Tala pursued an MFA in Illustration at the Academy of Art University, graduating in 2005 with an award for her art book Alnakba. Her work has been exhibited in the UAE, USA, and Lebanon, earning recognition for its depth and creativity. Now based in Abu Dhabi, Tala is an Assistant Professor at Zayed University, where she combines her artistic practice with teaching, drawing from her rich multicultural experiences.