As expected, the multitude of different languages spoken by those who came numbered almost as high as the list of nations represented.

However, there was one universal language among all who came--art.

Everyone had come for the annual Florence Biennale, an exhibition and celebration of art by artists from across the globe.

This year, the Biennale will be held from Dec. 3 to 11, and Nacera Guerin will be one of the artists representing the United States.

Guerin was born in Algeria, and as a 1-year-old moved to the north of France, where she grew up among seven brothers and five sisters. She has now been in the U.S. for 10 years, and just celebrated her official status as an American citizen in August. She lives in Saratoga with her Irish-born husband, Donal, who works at Cisco; her son Sofian, 17; and her daughter Nessa, 10.

Guerin started painting and sculpting a mere five years ago, when she took a course at West Valley College.

"My teacher was amazing; I am so grateful to her," Guerin says.

Since then, she has learned to use her art as a way of exploring her feelings about human suffering around the world. Many of her works depict women and children in places like Auschwitz and Kosovo.

"When you are affected by war, you need to take the energy out, otherwise it's dangerous," Guerin explains, adding that it is her art that allows her to do that.

Guerin is working on a piece that combines both painting and sculpture, and will explore the conflict in Rwanda.

Many say that Guerin's work speaks volumes, and it is that fact that led the Academy of Converging Arts in Hollywood and filmmaker Salima Ceret to pursue Guerin as the subject of their first multimedia documentary film, Me, Too, I Have A Dream, in 2003.

The film shows Guerin's life as an artist, a mother and a product of multiple cultures. It depicts Guerin having a dream about war and human suffering around the world, especially involving young children. When she wakes, she sets to work creating a new painting while sharing her thoughts with her children, and speaks about her wishes to appeal to human conscience.

In other works, Guerin explores subjects such as violence against women and the AIDS crisis.

"It's disastrous," Guerin says.

However, not all of her pieces deal with tragedy--she also paints and sculpts works that explore peace.

"I need balance," she says.

In the five years since she began her career as an artist, Guerin's work has been shown all across the Bay Area, including such venues as the Triton Museum and Gallery Blu in Santa Clara, the Nexus Gallery in Berkeley, the Art Museum of Los Gatos, the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, the Works Gallery in San Jose, the Saratoga Library, Hakone Gardens, the Institute for Women and Gender at Stanford and many more. She has sold many of her pieces into private collections, both nationally and internationally.

Guerin also helped organize the art program in Saratoga's Foothill School from 2003 to 2004, bringing in local artists to give demonstrations and educate the children on the importance of art.

Despite all of this, Guerin hints that she has never expected any of the attention she has received.

"I never paint for people," says Guerin, explaining that she never has the reactions of people in mind while she is creating her art. "I paint from the inside."

One thing is for certain--she can hardly wait to fly to Italy for the Florence Biennale in December.

The United Nations recognized the Florence Biennale as an official partner in the program "Dialogue Among Nations" in 2001.

Guerin says the International Committee, which selects artists for invitation into the Biennale, saw her art on her website, Nacera.com.

She says, "They [called me and] asked me, 'Do you want to?' and I said, 'Are you joking? You bet I do!' "

In addition to the opportunity to show her work at such a prestigious event, Guerin says she was perhaps most excited to hear about the renowned artists from around the world who will be speaking at the Biennale.

"They are some of the greatest artists of all time, that are still alive," she says. "When I heard that, I cried."

As a participant in the Biennale, Guerin will have her work featured in the event's catalog, and she says she has already sold 10 or 11 pieces just since her name has been on the list of this year's artists.

In addition to preparing for her trip to the Biennale, Guerin says she has also been looking forward to her son Sofian's graduation from Saratoga High School. Guerin says Sofian is quite an artist himself, as well as a talented actor, having performed in many of Saratoga High's recent drama productions, including the musical Oklahoma! and the controversial play The Laramie Project. Guerin says Sofian hopes to become an actor, comedian and scriptwriter, and will be starting at West Valley College in the fall with plans to transfer to an arts school either in Los Angeles or New York after that.

Her daughter Nessa is artistic as well and has already participated in the annual Open Studios event and shown her work at the Triton Museum of Art.

Guerin says she is blessed to have the unconditional support her family gives her with regard to her art.

"Donal has been my greatest supporter from the beginning; and my children," she says.

She says this is one of many reasons why she will encourage them in whatever they want to do with their lives, and hopes others around the world will do the same.

"I think everyone should follow their dreams," she says.

Visit Guerin's website at www.Nacera.com. For more information on the Florence Biennale, visit www.florencebiennalle.org.