This LEGO render by Steven Howard is a stunning sight to behold. The lighting, the dark shadows within the room, the textures, the central figure peering out into the brightly lit exterior are all handled beautifully. Buuuuut the title and the shackle around her ankle clue us in that not all is right with this. Steven tells us that he supports an organization called Rapha International that helps children who are being exploited and trafficked in Cambodia and elsewhere. Obviously, this is a subject close to Steven’s heart and if you’d like to help in some way then visit rapha.org to learn more. He’d also like to encourage other LEGO artists to build or render something that brings light to a cause you believe in and to use the hashtag #buildabetterworldwithlego. Who knows, doing so just might make this world a little better in some way or another.
When I first saw this I just saw the top half of the photo I just saw a kid looking outside and your title “longing for a better world”, and I thought, yeah, I feel just like that after a month of staying home on lockdown. Then I scrolled down and saw the shackle and read your text and thought, man, I’m a piece of crap. This is a stunningly powerful MOC.
Just to follow up on the build itself, there is so much excellence here – the use of lighting between the outside and the inside, the texture in the wall to look like peeling paint, the draping of the blanket on the cot, the way the girl is posed. I just keep looking at this.