Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah from Ghana has won the title of the youngest male artist by making Guinness World Record at the age of 1 year and 152 days.
The toddler inherited the talent from his mother Chantelle, who is also an artist. The Mother discovered her son’s passion for painting when he was just six months old.
Chantelle explained that when Ace was learning to crawl, she used to spread out a piece of unstretched canvas on the floor and used to drop some paint on it, in search of finding a way to keep him busy while she worked on a commission painting.
She mentioned that her son ended up spreading the paint all over the canvas and in the process of this he created his first masterpiece titled – The Crawl. Chantelle said that it is very clear that he found a lot of joy in doing the paintings.
Since the beginning, Ace-Liam has grabbed attention from national and international media and also from the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana.
Chantelle also remarked that Ace has created a buzz and heightened the conversation about art appreciation by discovering and nurturing talents in kids.
Continuing his passion for painting, Ace-Liam with 20 paintings has participated in his first group exhibition known as The Soundout Premium Exhibition that was held at the Museum of Science and Technology in Ghana.
There are total of ten of his artworks that were displayed and put up for sale, out of which nine were sold during the exhibition.
Mother Chantelle said that Ace loves the feeling when paints are on his hands. He likes bright colours and the ability to express himself through paintings.
Chatelle explained that it’s a fun and creative outlet for him and he enjoys the freedom to explore and create without limitations.
She enlightened further that ever since he started talking, he would ask to paint, as it has become his favourite activity.
Describing the meaning behind Ace’s masterpieces, Chantelle said Ace-Liam’s art is more about expression and exploration rather than conveying specific messages.
The young artists abstract paintings are inspired by the world around him that involves colours, shapes, textures and his mood. Every painting of him is an expression of his curiosity and joy in discovering new things.
She added that in-fact Ace’s painting sessions are spontaneous and guided by his mood.
Chantelle narrated an anecdote that once his painting area has been set up with canvases and paints as he walked into his studio and chooses the canvas size and colours he prefers.
“Then he calls me to open the paint bottles for him and then he starts applying the paint on the canvas carefully yet spontaneously,” said the mother.
She continued with the story and said, “A painting session can last anywhere from a few minutes to about half an hour, depending on his interest at the moment. Sometimes he used to leave a painting and come back to it after a couple of days to finish and complete it. Once he’s done, he says Mama finish.”
After the approval for his record of world’s youngest artist as a male, proud family of Ace-Liam began exploring the opportunities to place him in an environment where his artistic talent could be nurtured through quality education.
For Ace-Liam’s future education, his parents are seeking international scholarship opportunities and opportunities for him to sell his artwork after he registers his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Mother of young artists, Chantelle advices other parents to encourage and support their child’s interests, no matter how early they appear. Every child is unique and nurturing their passions that can lead to amazing discoveries and achievements.
To the people who wants to break a world record, Chantelle emphasized how important it is to follow the rules carefully. She advised all to read it over and over again before attempting it and remember the journey and joy which it brings. There is no doubt that Ace-Liam has an exciting career ahead as an artist.
