Her passion for painting started with the curious eyes of an 8-year-old girl.

“My interest in Chinese traditional painting began when I was 8, when I saw my classmate’s work then suddenly I became curious. I was amazed by what she could do, and I thought, maybe I can do this too,” said Yueran Hannah Sun, who is turning 13 next month, during her first solo exhibit in Quezon City on Saturday.

Born in a Chinese diplomatic family, Hannah, as she is fondly called, has taken interest in drawing, particularly traditional Chinese painting, at a very young age. The most common subject of her works, as shown in her “Sunshine in My Heart” exhibit at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe, are flowers and Chinese landscapes.

Asked if she is open to applying her techniques to landscapes in the Philippines, Hannah said she would love to explore’s the country’s prized sceneries and paint them.

“Nature is something I like to paint because I live in a big city,” she said.

What she loves the most in Chinese traditional painting, Hannah said, is its attention to the smallest of details and its openness to a spectrum of colors.

Hannah, who has lived in Malaysia, the United States and the Philippines, is currently studying at the International School Manila, but she always makes time to feed her passion in the middle of her academic workload.

“It’s my passion that has motivated me to continue painting despite being busy,” she said.

Hannah has won the San Francisco “My Favorite Activity” drawing contest in 2011, the annual San Francisco Zoo Wild About Art Poster in 2011 and 2012, Eco-Friendly Poster contest in 2012, and the annual Chinese Traditional Painting Contest for children in Chinese diplomatic families in 2013 and 2014.

But in spite of her achievements at an early age, Hannah said she is just like any other 12-year-old girl, sharing that her favorite subject in class is Physical Education, trailing Art and English. She, in fact, is a badminton team captain in her school.

Hannah said she does not plan to pursue art as a profession and is still unsure of which track to take , but she knows exactly what will bring her there—hard work, and not merely relying on talent, above anything else.

“If you want to be good at what you are doing, you have to be hardworking and passionate—hard work and perspiration,” she said. CDG