In the busy media centre of the Adidas Arena to cover the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2025 in Paris, Miangola Razafinimanana was putting the finishing touches on something extraordinary.
The 2022 mixed doubles champion from Madagascar had travelled to the arena with an unfinished portrait of Alex Lanier, determined to complete it while covering the event as a journalist.
But it was her completed work that would create the tournament’s most touching moment – a hand drawn image of Olympic and world champion An Se Young.
“I love the idea a character on paper can reflect a soul, a life,” explains Razafinimanana, whose realistic pencil portraits have been mistaken for photographs. Her artistic philosophy goes beyond mere technical skill. When she presented her meticulously crafted portrait to An after her quarterfinal victory over compatriot Sim Yu Jin, the reaction was everything an artist could hope for.
“When An discovered it was a drawing, I loved seeing her reaction. She even asked if the artwork was for her,” Razafinimanana recalls, still moved by the memory. “She ended our meet saying she had ‘goosebumps’. You can imagine the emotion I felt at that moment. It was a mix of pride and joy, an unforgettable memory, filled with beautiful vibrations. A magical moment.”
The encounter wasn’t planned as a gift presentation. Razafinimanana explained that the artwork was destined for the SoliBad charity to help underprivileged children. An’s genuine surprise and emotional response validated what she has discovered about her unique medium.
“People always think my portraits are photographs and as soon as I reveal to them it’s a pencil drawing, it adds to and increases their emotions. These emotions are at the heart of my artistic intention. The drawing I chose of An reflects a calm and sensitivity I really appreciate and that touched me. That’s how I translated and preserved it in my drawing,” she says.
The artist’s dual identity as national champion-turned-journalist-turned-artist gives her an insider’s perspective that enriches everything she creates. Her experience competing at national events allows her to capture something photographers might miss.
“I can focus on specific details, a precise movement, a facial expression, the intensity of a gaze or the fluidity of a gesture, which can sometimes be lost in a frozen image.”
Her portrait of home hope, Lanier came from this deep understanding. “I came across a photo of him during a match that really attracted me, he had an almost palpable confidence and concentration. That’s exactly the kind of moment I like to immortalise.”
Her portrait of two-time All England champion An took less than two weeks to complete, her fastest yet. “It’s the first time I’ve finished a portrait so quickly and so well done. It made me realise I can draw more works in the future.”
An’s paiting was auctioned for US$500 on 9 December 2025, with all proceeds going to charity.
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