A painted portrait depicting Pakistani student activist Malala Yousafzai doing her homework fetched more than $100,000 at an auction in New York-with the money going to the Malala Fund, which is dedicated to promoting girls’ education
Christie’s auction house said Malala’s painting by noted British artist Jonathan Yeo sold for $102,500 on Wednesday, including the buyer’s premium.
Yeo, who is famous for life-like portraits of well-known figures, painted Malala in 2013 after she started attending a school in Birmingham, UK where she now lives.
Meanwhile, the Malala Fund said the money would be given to Nigerian non-profit organisations that focus on education for women and girls, in the wake of the kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls in that country.
Last week, the Malala Fund launched a special fund in response to the crisis in Nigeria.