Toddler officially recognized as the world’s youngest male artist

The mother of the Ghanaian toddler officially recognized as the world’s youngest male artist has expressed to agencies her immense pride in her son’s artistic talent, hoping he can make a significant impact in the art world.

Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah achieved this remarkable milestone at just one year and 152 days old.

“He already knows what colours complement each other,” said his mother Chantelle Kuukua Eghan, who has been an artist for eight years.

She first noticed his talent when he was only six months old. Ace-Liam was officially honored with the title last Monday, after waiting five months for Guinness World Records (GWR) to confirm their attempt.

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“When I opened the email, I just broke down and thanked God,” Ms. Eghan told agencies.

To qualify for the record, GWR required that Ace-Liam be part of a professional exhibition open to the public and sell his work. The artwork needed to be done to a professional standard, with evidence that it was created independently.

Ace-Liam’s work was exhibited at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra from last December to early January. He sold nine of the 10 pieces on display and was even commissioned by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, who was present at the exhibit.

The prodigy, who turns two in July, has sold 15 paintings in his career so far and is set to host an auction soon. However, this dive into the art world was initially unintended. Ms. Eghan said he stumbled into painting, or more, crawled into it.

While working on a commissioned piece for Miss Universe 2023, Ms. Eghan, being a single mother, had to keep Ace-Liam occupied.

“How do I juggle painting and raising a kid?” she wondered. That’s when she spread a stretched canvas on the floor, added some paint, and let him play with it.

“He was so intrigued by the bright colors,” she said.

His first masterpiece was aptly named “The Crawl.” Ace-Liam’s art is characterized by bright colors and acrylic paint, creating dynamic abstract images.

“His paintings show someone who is intrigued about discovering things,” Ms. Eghan told agencies.

She hopes her son will follow in the footsteps of Ghanaian artist Amaoko Boafo. “He has been able to put Ghana on the map when it comes to art,” she said.

When talking about international artists, she wants her son to admire American artist Jackson Pollock and the UK’s Damian Hirst.

“Jackson Pollock allowed his inner child to still be with him, even when he was old. His work is vibrant and spontaneous and that is how I see my son’s work,” she said.

Ms. Eghan hopes to secure an international scholarship for Ace-Liam to further develop his artistic talent. “I want to encourage parents to nurture the talent in their kids from an early age,” she said.

For now, Ace-Liam has his own studio, created by his devoted mother, where he is ready to craft his next masterpiece.

world’s youngest artist