Have you heard of Elephant Parade? Well, it’s in Malta and you need to check it out!
In the jungle the mighty jungle...
When Maltese globetrotter Annamaria Kissaun first moved to Asia with her family for her husband's job, she didn't know she would be returning with much more than happy memories after living in the Philippines and Singapore for seven years! As a travelling spouse, the family got to experience many amazing experiences, places and cultures, one of which being introduced to Elephant Parade - an artistic venture which aims to raise money for the conservation of Asian elephants.
Elephant Parade is a social enterprise which runs the world's largest art exhibition of decorated elephants, hand-painted by dedicated artists in Thailand. Each Elephant Parade statue is a unique piece of art, and Annamaria has brought the adorable figurines to Malta as the sole importer of the incentive. The collectable pieces are sold at her Swieqi outlet and have been a massive hit with art lovers, some of whom have even become avid collectors of the objects d'art, which come in a range of sizes. Life-sized baby elephant statues have even been decorated and are exhibited in public spaces in big cities overseas!
"I love art and have always wanted to have my own business, so being Malta's representative for Elephant Parade fit me right down to a tee," Annamaria tells Guide Me Malta. "The initiative started off in 2006 when founder Marc Spits visited a Thai hospital for injured elephants and came across baby Mosha, who needed a prosthetic limb after one of hers was blown off by stepping on a landmine," she continues, maintaining that Elephant Parade funded the prosthetic leg. From there, a self-sustaining project was founded and 20 per cent of their net profits from the sales of these beautiful pieces goes directly towards the conservation of Asian elephants, which are at risk of extinction due to displacement after their habitats are destroyed for development projects. The money also funds research into undercover investigations against poaching and educational billboards.
Each painted elephant comes stamped and numbered with its own booklet documenting its city of origin, the year it was made, its maker and its own special name. The colourful designs vary from artist to artist, and you're bound to find one of your own to fall in love with! Some elephants have even been painted by celebrities including Leona Lewis who painted hers for the cause, and some have even been sold at famous auction house, Sotheby's!
The miniature elephant statues can also be bought undecorated, for creative individuals to paint their own special piece, and Annamaria has recently introduced an initiative within Maltese schools for students to design their own patterns onto a plain template before choosing certain students to recreate their drawings onto the 3D elephants. As one can imagine, this went down brilliantly with both teachers and students, who got to learn about animal conservation at the same time as having fun being creative. "The teachers were ecstatic and the kids really opened up to the whole thing. The talent that came out from the students was amazing! It's very rewarding," Annamaria concurs.
We don't know about you, but we would love to get our hands on an Elephant Parade figurine...the only question is, should we go for a beautifully painted chosen find or take a risk and paint our own? Or, of course, we could do both - after all it's in the name of charity, and we do love adorable elephants! Check them out here!