(Coco Tin, Year 10) Hong Kong teen takes top prize in UN environment agency’s painting competition
Winning entry from the 19th UNEP International Children’s Painting Competition by Coco Ton Chi Ting
12 August 2010 – A painting warning of the dangers of pollution by a teenager from Hong Kong, China, beat out hundreds of thousands of entries from around the world to win this year’s United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) painting competition, it was announced today.
Coco Tin Chi Ting, 14, said that her painting is intended to be a warning about the effects of pollution on animals.
“In my picture, a variety of animals are carved into blocks and on top perches a fragile glass Earth,” she explained.
“As the evil hand made of pollution tries to take blocks and destroy the tower, the good hand comes in and stops it,” Coco continued. “By doing this, the tower of blocks is saved and the glass Earth stays intact. This shows that if we don’t act now and protect the animals, the Earth will be shattered and destroyed.”
Today’s announcement coincides with the UN International Youth Day, and as the overall winner, Coco receives $2,000 in prize money and an all-expense-paid trip this October to the Tunza International Children’s Conference in Nagoya, Japan, where she will formally receive her award.
