Ghanaian toddler shatters world records, becoming the youngest male artist in history, driven by an innate love for colors, according to his proud mother.
Chantelle Kukua Eghan, the mother of the young prodigy, recounts how it all began unexpectedly when her son, just 6 months old, stumbled upon her collection of acrylic paints.
An artist herself and the brains behind Arts and Cocktails Studio, a popular painting lesson spot in Accra, Ghana, Eghan sought a distraction for her son while she worked on her own creations.
Setting up a canvas on the floor, she innocently added paint, and as her son crawled around, he inadvertently spread the vibrant hues across the canvas, giving birth to his debut masterpiece, dubbed “The Crawl,” as Eghan, aged 25, revealed to The Associated Press.
Encouraged by his mother, Ace-Liam continued to explore the world of painting.
Last June, Eghan decided to pursue a Guinness World Record. By November, after Guinness World Records stipulated that her son must exhibit and sell his artworks to break the previous record, she embarked on the journey.
In January, she orchestrated Ace-Liam’s inaugural showcase at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra, where nine-tenths of his listed artworks were swiftly purchased. She opted not to disclose the sale prices.
Guinness World Records affirmed the achievement in an official statement and recently proclaimed that “Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah from Ghana, at 1 year and 152 days old, holds the title of the world’s youngest male artist.”
There was no immediate response from Guinness World Records to an inquiry from the Associated Press regarding the previous youngest male artist record holder.
The current title for the world’s youngest artist is held by Arushi Bhatnagar of India. She held her debut exhibition at just 11 months old, selling her first painting for 5,000 Rupees ($60) in 2003.
At almost two years old, Ace-Liam still revels in painting, often joining his mother in her studio, which now features a designated space just for him. His painting sessions sometimes last just five minutes, with him returning to the same canvas over days or even weeks, according to Eghan.
