Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)

Claire Lee felt like it was a miracle when she had the opportunity to donate one of her paintings to someone she deeply admired.

In January, the 16-year-old artist created a painting of Natalia Vodianova, who founded the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity dedicated to creating a more inclusive society for disabled youth.

Last month, Claire met Vodianova and gave her the painting. “It was a surreal experience,” said the Year 11 student at German Swiss International School. “[Vodianova] said she appreciated it.”

The teen explained why she chose to paint the 42-year-old Russian model: “Natalia is not just a pretty face to paint or an iconic supermodel. To me, she is an angel with a big, naked heart that she shares with those who need it.”

How it all began

The painting began as a piece for Claire’s final exam in her art class. She was tasked with using the word “lock” as inspiration. “The teacher said, ‘Try to not draw a physical lock’,” the student recalled. “So, I explored lots of locks: two interlocking eyes [or] interlocking fingers.”

But Claire’s inspiration ultimately came from her community service. For about a year, she had been tutoring younger students in less affluent parts of Hong Kong.

After struggling to teach a student with special educational needs, Claire felt that she had helped him “unlock” his learning potential. It inspired her to think about the importance of unlocking opportunities for those with disabilities.

The artist remembered hearing about the Naked Heart Foundation and decided to base her project on its founder. In January, she created the painting during her eight-hour exam. Titled Naked Heart, it uses earthy tones to depict Vodianova, who bears angel wings.

Two months later, Vodianova was visiting Hong Kong to host a children’s charity ball in Tsim Sha Tsui. Since Claire’s father was invited to the ball, the teen was able to meet her muse and give her the painting.

“I’m just really grateful that I was able [to do this] because not all families have these connections,” she said. “That’s why I want to use this to help others.”

“I find that raising awareness is a way also to help other people.”

Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Suggested Answers

• What are some small and big ways to help out an important cause? Answers may vary: raising awareness, raising money, donating time, starting a campaign, etc.

• Why did Claire have to create this painting? It was part of her final exam for her art class.

• How did tutoring inspire Claire’s idea for the painting? She felt that raising awareness for disabled youth and unlocking opportunities for them was important; it led her to the Naked Heart Foundation, which was founded by Vodianova, the painting’s subject.