Leon Neal—AFP
Jonathan Yeo portrait of schoolgirl activist had been estimated to fetch $60,000 to $80,000.
A painted portrait of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban, fetched $102,500 at auction on Wednesday in New York—with the money going to female education in Nigeria.
The proceeds will be donated from her Malala Fund to a special fund designed to assist local NGOs working to educate girls and women in Nigeria, where more than 200 schoolgirls are missing after being snatched at gunpoint last month by extremists.
Auction house Christie’s had estimated the portrait of the veiled teenager—done in 2013 by leading British artist Jonathan Yeo—would fetch $60,000-$80,000. But after several bids it was snapped up in just a few minutes at a higher price.
Malala, now 16, was shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 over her outspoken views on education for girls in her home region of Swat. After undergoing extensive medical treatment, she now lives in Britain.
3 comments
Well Christie auction house did a fantastic job selling the portrait for a greater sum than originally estimated by the auctioneers. It is being used for a good cause, that makes all the difference..
We applaud the Christie and Malala Fund contributing towards education of the girls in Nigeria.
Pity that funds were not sent to Malala”s homeland!
Do we know who purchased it?