Gabriel Friedman began his artistic journey at Classen SAS. He has attended the Art Institute of San Francisco, the Boston Art Institute, and the Chicago Institute of Art. Throughout his life he has worked as a freelancer in design, writing and photography. In the 2000s he worked as a photojournalist in the skateboard industry. In addition to the more traditional art forms, Gabe spent a decade learning “maker” or building skills such as carpentry and blacksmithing. Recently, in collaboration with Denise Duong, Gabe created and installed the first public art commission, “The Unexpected Us” in Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City. The sculpture features a massive woven willow stick sculpture shaped like a bird, with a suspended light in the center, pulsing within a yellow orb. The sculpture is representative of Gabriel’s lifelong goal of: “contributing to building a healthier, more open minded, magical and exciting artistic community for the next generation.”