As many of you know, Little Hearts is full of talented young artists. Under the tutelage of dedicated art teachers, some of our kids have been taking painting classes for years, and they’re really good at it! Their stylish works have been gifted to sponsors, given as souvenirs to supporters and extended family members, and sold at local fairs. Recently, the kids completed the renovation of our in-house art gallery, decorating it with a stunning cycle of mural art.
But all these artistic milestones pale in comparison to what happened last Saturday, August 10th, when the kids’ paintings were presented at a real, professionally run art auction titled Colours of Hope that aimed to raise funds for Little Hearts. The kids were gobsmacked that some of their artworks, along with those of established artists from around the world, were sold for considerable sums and thus contributed to funding the orphanage’s ongoing operations.
The event was the brainchild of one of our most active and committed donors, Yennie Liang. She came up with the idea during a conversation with Tony. She had always been impressed with the work of our art students and the new art gallery, and knowing Little Hearts’ dire need for financial support, she put the two things together and proposed a charity art auction. With her characteristic energy and drive, Yennie co-opted the collaboration of Angkor Art Gallery, the largest contemporary art gallery in Cambodia, and Norea Cove Residences, a luxurious residential complex located on the newly built Norea Island on the Mekong river. Norea Cove Residences generously offered their sales offices and gallery on Diamond Island as the venue for the auction.
The event took place last Saturday afternoon and was a great success. Over 100 well-heeled art aficionados, patrons and business leaders attended, as well as members of the press. In her opening statement, Yennie recalled first visiting Little Hearts:
When Tony first invited me, my first impression was shock because Little Hearts isn’t a typical orphanage that upsets you with a miserable and depressing vibe. In fact, it’s an orphanage with clean facilities, where the kids are cheerful and bright, well-taught and speak English […] Through education, Tony believes these children can break free from the cycle that bound them to their biological parents’ struggles. My brother Chris and I were raised in a single-parent family, and my mother, too, emphasized the transformative power of learning, so Tony’s mission resonated deeply with me. It wasn’t just about securing these children’s future; it was about infusing their lives with hope.
The auction showcased artworks created by the children as well as by established artists. Overall, the selection of works was carefully curated to represent a diverse array of styles and themes. It included eight works by our kids – four from their exiting collection and four more made especially for the auction during an art class conducted for them by Ms. Zhi Ying, one of the founders of Angkor Art Gallery, and other gallery art experts.
Our senior-most student, Ilay, gave a short speech about her life at Little Hearts. The other young painters present at the auction were Michael, Elizabeth, Daleine, Dalin, Malee, Micky, Charlie, Maya, Raphael and Ennio. The auction also featured 11 professional artists from different countries, including Alex Leong and Sean Lee are from Malaysia, Jeremie Montessuis from France, Gale Choong is from Singapore, Knakorn Kachacheewa from Thailand, and Sopheak Lach from Cambodia.
The profits from the auction will go directly to support Little Hearts’ mission to provide shelter, food and comprehensive education to underprivileged children.
We would like to thank the many sponsors and helpers who made this event possible:
- Zhi Ying and Mr. Bernard Teo, founders of Angkor Art Gallery
- Kelvin Chua, CEO of Akram Development, who made available the venue, Norea Cove Residences Sales Gallery
- Jay Ho, owner of Seristine Holdings, who is also Yennie’s husband and assisted her throughout the planning of the event
- Anna Wang, general manager of Olympia City Hotel, one of the sponsors and a close friend of Yennie’s
- Amiliya Wang, owner of Mscents Cambodia, another sponsor and also a very supportive friend of Yennie’s
- Scott Liu, Mr. Rex Wu, Mr. Jerome Hong, Mr. John Guo and Mr. Chris Lin for assisting with flow control at the event
- Shasne Suleimanova, who volunteered to be the MC and auctioneer at the event.
We also thank our media partners: The Khmer Times, Jian Dan Wang, Simple Cambodia, and The Cambodia China Times.
Above all, we are hugely grateful to Yennie herself, whose generosity, initiative, enthusiasm and dedication to Little Hearts are second to none.
On a more sombre note, we remind all friends, supporters and members of our extended family that Little Hearts remains on shaky financial ground. The Covid pandemic hit us hard, with many fundraising activities being cancelled during that period and various donors discontinuing their support. Currently, the orphanage has financial commitments sufficient to cover only the next few months, so we are much in need of hands-on support with fundraising. We welcome not only monetary donations, but also well thought-out and executed initiatives like Yennie’s. If you or someone in your business or kinship circle can help us through this financially difficult time, please get in touch with Tony (tony@lho.ngo) as soon as possible.