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Many children are natural born artists. After all, they possess boundless imagination and approach colors and shapes with a unique curiosity. That's why it would be hard to spot the youngest artist on Earth; however, Guinness World Records has found him. Ghanian toddler Ace-Liam Ankrah, who will be 2 years old in July, has been named “World’s Youngest Male Artist” after fulfilling specific requirements needed to qualify.
Ace-Liam created his first painting at just 6 months old, aptly titled The Crawl. His mother, artist Chantelle Kuukua Eghan, needed to keep him entertained while she worked on her own projects. “I spread out a canvas on the floor and added paint to it, and then in the process of crawling he ended up spreading all the colors on the canvas,” she told AP. After that, and prompted by his mother, he continued to paint.
The boy has created his vibrant, expressive works using acrylic paint. After selecting the canvas size and paint colors, his mother opens the bottles for him, and lets his imagination run wild. Eghan now sees Ace-Liam as a budding Jackson Pollock, who also pouring paint across the canvas in his famous drip paintings. “Jackson Pollock allowed his inner child to still be with him, even when he was old,” she told BBC News. “His work is vibrant and spontaneous, and that is how I see my son’s work.”
Eghan decided to apply for the record last June. In November 2023, Guinness World Records told her that to break a previous record, her son needed to exhibit his work and sell paintings. She then arranged for Ace-Liam’s first exhibition at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra in January 2024, where nine out of 10 of his pieces listed were sold. Ghana’s first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, attended the exhibition and even commissioned a piece from him.
“His abstract paintings are inspired by the world around him: colors, shapes, textures and his mood,” says Eghan. “Every painting is an expression of his curiosity and joy in discovering new things.” Each of Ace-Liam's painting sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to about half an hour, depending on his interest at the moment. “Sometimes he leaves a painting and comes back to it after a couple of days to finish it,” Eghan shares. “Once he’s done, he says, ‘Mama, finish.’”
So far, Ace-Liam has sold 15 paintings during his brief career—excluding The Crawl, which his mom aims to keep in the family. There are plans to hold an auction soon for his new paintings, in addition to looking for new opportunities for her son, such as applying for scholarships and helping him sell paintings to an international audience. Overall, she hopes to inspire other parents to discover and nurture their children’s talents—and she’s happy to see how far her kid can go. “He is painting and growing and playing in the whole process,” she says.
You can stay up to date on this tiny toddler’s artistic journey by following Ace-Liam’s Instagram.
Ghanian toddler Ace-Liam Ankrah, who will turn 2 in July, has been named “World’s Youngest Male Artist” by Guinness World Records.
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Ace-Liam created his first painting at just 6 months old. The artwork is aptly titled The Crawl.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
After selecting the canvas size and paint colors, his mother opens the bottles for him, and lets his imagination run wild.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Guinness World Records told his mom that to break a previous record, Ace-Liam needed to exhibit his work and sell paintings. The toddler went on to exhibit and sell 9 out 10 exhibited works.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
“His abstract paintings are inspired by the world around him: colors, shapes, textures and his mood.”
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Ace-Liam Ankrah: Instagram
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]
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