I AM NALA
Hello, my name is NALA!
I am 8 years old and I live in a small village near Cape Town in South Africa.
While hanging up my daddy’s pink underwear on the line, during my domestic chores, I noticed the mountains in the background. They were shimmering a beautiful crimson pink at sunset.
I am curious about these majestic mountains and I would like to find out what lies beyond them. I have now decided that it is time to start my journey to satisfy my curiosity.
I shall share my experiences of the adventures, people and animals that I meet on this journey, if you visit me here on this website from time to time.
I hope your curiosity has been activated… and that I see you here soon.
Warm regards
NALA
PS: see my full story below
NALA´s STORY
NALA is a 8 years old african girl who is growing up in a small village near Cape Town, South Africa. NALA has a Mother, a Father and two Brothers. She is the only girl in the family
The story began when NALA was 6 Years old, and that was the age when she started to help the mother in the house to do the domestic works. (washing of clothes and dishes, cleaning the house, shopping of groceries and sometimes cooking) while her brother can enjoy the free time outside with friends when he came back from school ( playing football, cycling and having fun )
NALA is not allowed to visit the school because of her domestic work, but she like to go to the school, to learn, to explore, to be educated. Her mother said, “you can learn to cook, clean and wash clothes, that’s enough”
One day, after NALA was outside hanging clothes on the washing line, she saw the mountains at the horizon and she was wondering what´s behind them. She was dreaming and in her dreams she was sit on a bicycle to explore the world behind the mountains.
The dream stops when she heard her mother screaming “Naaaaallllaaaaaa”!!!
NALA and the mountains..., and from this time she was wishing to and that’s made her also sad, because she have never the chance to travel behind them, until she met a little bird, and the bird ask NALA "why you are so sad "?,
and NALA told him her story.
The bird said. If this is your dream to see the world behind the mountains, than you have to leave home. Listen to your heart and follow your dreams !!
NALA was thinking and she more think what the bird said, she more was curious to explore the “other world”
One day, she started escaping from home.
She got a lift with an old ambulance to a place called chicken country. She met many nice people, animals and she saw beautiful landscapes.
On a farm in the ostrich land she met a old farmer and he gave her an old purple bicycle and from this time she cycled almost every day.
See the NALA Artworks and you know how far she cycled. Last Time in August 2014 when I updated this side, she was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania after 12.300 km of cycling.
HOW I WAS BORN
First, I love to introduce my friend André Pilz.
He is Artist, and creative Head of this Project. André is situated in Cape Town, and that is where I met him.
André´s big dreams is, to see the Singer(Band) SADE, live in concert,
because he listens since 25 years to their music.
She inspired him many times during his creative painting works.
Again and again he catches himself checking surfing the Internet to search concerts of SADE, but nothing, no concert in reach.
2011.
After André found out, that SADE is touring in Europe and he could not
be present, he took in full sadness, pencil and a paper and started scribbling on it. During the drawings, SADE´s Song “Sally” was playing in the radio and suddenly a little face was watching at him, and as he continued drawing, a dress, 2 arms and 2 bambi-eyes were looking at him.
umm, well… so I was created..
Full of devotion, André took a brush and some paint and painted me on a piece of canvas. Well, there I was, painted but still dumb and nameless.
My Painting was hanging on his wall and became marvel and every time when somebody asked about the painting, André was telling the story and the developing of the following project.
André ask all his friends for help to find a name for me.
A lot of friends came up with interesting names, but non of the names seemed to right, but Elvira, a good friend told abrupt “NALA” a part of his pseudonym NAWALA.
Well, I was born…. NALA
Copyright © 2012-2014 by André Pilz, All rights reserved.
NALA ART NEWS
latest update: 01.03.2021
Hello friends of Nala.
In all the years when I traveled the world with my doll, NALA, she got always new clothes in every country, which were sewn for her in numerous countries.
Now she even has more clothes than me, and today I present you exclusively, NALA's new dress from Cuba.
The artist Yailin Morales from Nuevo Paz, CUBA sewed the new dress for NALA with a lot of love, devotion and arrangement.
It was created with absolute love and perfectly handcrafted.
Many Thanks, Yailin for this wonderful Summer-dress.
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Hola amigos de Nala.
En todos los años en que viajé por el mundo con mi muñeca, NALA, siempre consiguió ropa nueva en todos los países, que le cosían en numerosos países.
Ahora incluso tiene más ropa que yo.Y hoy les presento en exclusiva, el nuevo vestido de NALA desde Cuba.
El artista Yailin Morales de Nuevo Paz, CUBA cosió el vestido nuevo para NALA con mucho amor, devoción y arreglo.
Fue creado con absoluto amor y perfectamente hecho a mano.
Muchas gracias, Yailin por este maravilloso vestido de verano.
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NALA in Valencia, Spain (español abajo)
Hello my Friends,
many greetings from Valencia in Spain.
Today I visited ,,Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciéncies,,
( Science Museum) in Valencia, Spain.
The weather can not be better for my little city adventure.
Soon I sent more photos from this amazing City.
Come and visit Valencia.
I wish you all a great week.
Take care and keep in Touch.
Yours NALA
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NALA en Valencia, España
Hola mis amigos,
muchos saludos desde Valencia en España.
Hoy visité la Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciéncies en Valencia, España.
El clima no puede ser mejor para mi pequeña aventura urbana. Mañana les envié más fotos de esta increíble ciudad.
Ven a visitar Valencia.
Les deseo a todos una gran semana.
Tenga cuidado y mantenerse en contacto.
Tuyo NALA
Hello Friends of NALA,
Here I present you another unique NALA Artwork from Ecuador.
Nala explores nature while riding a llama.
The Artist is Mika Játiva from Quito in Ecuador.
Thank you, Mika for this extraordinary Artwork.
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Hola amigos de NALA,
Aquí les presento otra Obra de Arte NALA única de Ecuador.
Nala explora la naturaleza mientras monta una llama.
El artista es Mika Játiva de Quito en Ecuador.
Gracias, Mika por esta extraordinaria obra de arte.
This NALA Artwork is now exhibited at Zeitz Mocaa Art Museum
in Cape Town / South Africa
22. October 2020 till 10. January 2021.
NALA and Graffity Ana by Richard Scott
Richard Scott is a very well known international British artist who lives in Cape Town. He refined my 2013 NALA painting with his Grafitty Ana.
I visited Richard in his studio in Cape Town in 2019.
He was immediately enthusiastic about my NALA Project and enhanced my little NALA painting with his art.
This NALA painting is now hanging from
22. October 2020 - 10. January 2021 in the
Zeitz Mocaa Art Museum in Cape Town in a special exhibition. "Home is where Art is"
A Big "Thank you" goes to Andrea Schachler. She helped me so much, that this Painting found the way to the Art Exhibition at Zeitz Mocaa. Thank you, Andrea.
Hello friends of NALA.
please see Article here: Nala helps
You will surely remember the NALA Corona Art artworks by Joan Otieno from Nairobi, Kenya.
With the help of my NALA Project, the Kenyan Artist Joan Otieno sold small NALA artworks for over 400 euros. (40,000 ksh)
Many thanks to the buyers from Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Each sale ensured that everyone had enough rice and beans or corn porridge and vegetables to eat, and the Warembo Wassani Art Center continued to help underprivileged children improve their future.
Unfortunately, these small NALA artworks are still in Kenya and could not yet be sent to Germany due to Corona and high-cost transport costs.
DHL asked for an amount of 300 Euros for 6 kg of recycling art.
If you are flying from Kenya to Germany or Switzerland in the near future, please let me know.
Maybe you can bring the NALA Art package with you.
Thank you for reading.
André Pilz,
The NALA Art Project.
The Ecuador - Peru cyclingtrip is cancelled because of the current CORONA pandemie.
I start as soon as the situation is getting normal and no risc for health and life.
I wish all my friends, website followers and all people i dont know yet, good health and stayed strong.
NALA visits Ecuador and Peru.
www.the-nala-project.com
Long-distance cyclist André Pilz from Kassel, Germany will be visit with his NALA art project the countries of Ecuador and Peru.
André and Nala cycled approximately 16,500 km in 3 years
from South Africa to Ethiopia.
On the road, they met 119 artists from 15 countries, who
supported the Project with more then 160 NALA Artworks.
Now they going to South America and looking for painters
and sculptors support the NALA project.
NALA is a little African girl who had the dream
traveling behind the mountains and escaping from home
to explore the world by bicycle.
The artists tell NALA's travel story through
works of art that are shown in traveling exhibitions.
There have already been 8 Art exhibitions in Africa and Europe.
If you want to participate in the NALA global art project,
write me an email or a message on Facebook.
thelittlenala@gmail.com
FB: TheNalaProject
NALA MEMORY GAME
only 5 more available ( 15 NALA Art Memory sold )
The Nala Project presents,
The NALA Art Memory Game.
#StayHome - limited edition 2020
36 selected NALA artworks by artists from 15 countries now enrich your gamenight at home.
Stay at home and play; The NALA Art Memory Game.
More Infos here: NALA Products
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Das NALA Kunst Gedächtnisspiel.
#StayHome - limited edition 2020
36 ausgesuchte NALA Kunstwerke von Künstlern aus 15 Ländern bereichern jetzt deinen Spielabend zu Hause.
Bleib zu Hause und spiele; The NALA Art Memory Game.
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The Nala Project presenta,
The NALA Art Memory Game.
# quedarse en casa - edición limitada 2020
36 obras de arte seleccionadas de Nala de artistas de 15 países ahora enriquecen tu noche de juegos en casa.
Quédate en casa y juega; El juego de memoria de arte NALA.
NALA ART BOOK
NALA ART Booklet ready for Download
The NALA ART Booklet is now available as PDF File for download.
Selected Artists show amazing NALA Artworks from southern and east Africa.
NALA SLIDESHOW
NALA Slideshow video on YouTube
On YouTube you can see the little video, which we shown during the NALA ART Exhibition in Germany.
This Video shows André´s and Nala´s artistic bicycle Journey through Africa.
The titles are in german language, but there are very nice photos to see.
Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkB-UHgOeo
It will be lovely if you can leave a comment about the NALA Project here: Opinion about The NALA Project.
Thank you very much
Yours NALA and André
I am currently in: Aarau, Switzerland
Tel. +41 76 823 1367
Email: thelittlenala@gmail.com
Current mission:
+ André and NALA are back in Germany to promote
The NALA Project and their Artists. Searching new Exhibition Space.
Next destination
We will start to our NALA Art Project Cyclingtrip through Ecuador and Peru as soon as Corona Pedemie is over.
Cycled kilometer: 16.425 km
Tourstart by Bike was: Monday April 1, 2013
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