Born in London, Gabriela creates artwork under the artist name Aisla Islava. Aisla Islava's work has been featured at National Trust Sites in the UK England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Her work has been shown in Paris, London, Boston, San Francisco and New York City. She was raised in the American Southwest, in El Paso, Texas, a city with the natural border of the Rio Grande, and the majestic Franklin Mountains. The city also has a rich cultural history and influence of the American West, Mexican, Native American, Middle Eastern, European, Asian, French and Spanish. She later moved to the East Coast for a decade, and eventually settled in San Francisco. Aisla Islava has participated in mural projects throughout the United States, including New York City, Cambridge and Boston Massachusetts, Las Cruces New Mexico, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, El Paso, Texas, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, California. Her music, art and jewelry creations have been featured at the DeYoung Museum, SF MOMA, and SOMArts Galleries, as well as galleries and private collections throughout the United States and Europe. Her artistic creations illustrate the alchemy of science, engineering, nature, culture, language, music, literature and the expressive arts.

Gabriela was awarded a National Arts and Disabilities Center (NADC) Award and Bay Area Changemakers Award. The National and State Grant is to support Artists with Disabilities, sponsored by the National Arts and Disability Center, the California Arts Council and the Semel Institute, UCLA.