Nada doesn’t speak much about her experience. It would be a lot to process as an adult, let alone as a 16-year-old. We can’t even imagine what it was like for her to live through the constant terror.
She and her younger sister, Hayat, have come face to face with more death and destruction than anyone - let alone children, should ever witness. The danger was constant - both from the invaders and those within. We know from Hayat that their father would be at the hospital during the day, where he worked as one of the last remaining vascular surgeons. Their 17-year-old brother, Karim-Abed, would spend hours waiting in various lines for food and water, meaning Nada, Hayat, and their mother were alone.
For seven months, the girls and their mother stayed indoors, venturing outside only when they were forced to relocate to another place. The days and nights were filled with the sounds of drones, planes, bombs, gunshots, and screams.
Despite everything, Nada continued her studies, helped her mother with chores, drew, and helped Hayat film her TikTok videos. When Hayat’s phone broke, Nada shared hers so that Hayat could continue to film or talk to their older brother, Karim.
Nada was a stabilizing force for her sister and helped her family as best any 16-year-old could. Now in Cairo and reunited with her brothers, it’s wonderful to witness her beautiful smile.
While we love all the Pals’ designs, Nada’s is particularly special because she is the artist. Whether she intended for her work to be a self-representation or not, we can’t help but see the parallels between her and her subject. The rose, like Nada, is beautiful. It’s symbolism has long been one of love and caring. Unlike other flowers, roses come with a bite for those who are caught unaware. The fierceness, vulnerability, and resilience of the rose are an accurate description of the artist herself. Her stories of survival are her own to tell - or not - but we see the resemblance between artist and subject very clearly in the work.
Nada’s original concept
During the digitization process, we asked Nada what her favorite color was. “Sky blue” was her response, and that got us thinking. A simple blue rose might work, but that wasn’t enough for our OM artist. The sky had been taken from Nada during the long months she was forced to remain indoors. When she was able to venture out, it was never a happy instance. She could never take time to appreciate a beautiful day - a luxury she didn’t have. So, the OM artist started thinking about how to give Nada the sky.
You’ll notice several versions of the design in the Nada Collection. This is because she loved each iteration and couldn’t choose just one. And why does such a beautiful soul have to choose? Nada deserves peace, safety, and the sky.
