One-Year-Old Ghanaian Toddler Named Youngest Male Artist in the World

One-year-old Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah from Ghana has been recognized as the world's youngest male artist by the Guinness World Records.

The toddler was officially recognised as the world record holder last Monday. To qualify, Ace-Liam participated in a professional exhibition at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra, where he sold nine out of ten paintings, including one commissioned by Ghana's First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, who attended the exhibit.

With 15 paintings sold already, Ace-Liam, who turns two in July, is gearing up to host an auction, as per the BBC.

Little Ace-Liam's artistic journey began at a remarkably early stage, with his skills catching the eye of his mother, Ms Chantelle, herself an artist. It was at the age of just six months that Ms Chantelle noticed her son's inclination towards painting.

Ms Chantelle explained that while the toddler was learning to crawl, she “spread out a piece of unstretched canvas on the floor and dropped some paint on it as a way to keep him busy” while she worked on a commission painting.

She revealed that the baby “ended up spreading the paint all over the canvas, and in the process, he created his first masterpiece titled ‘The crawl'."

Mr Ace-Liam's love for painting is a genuine passion that brings him joy and fulfilment, his mother revealed. She shared that the toddler loved the “feel of the paint on his hands”, adding that it is a “fun and creative outlet for him, and he enjoys the freedom to explore and create without limitations.”

Ever since he could talk, the toddler has been eager to paint. Ms Chantelle, says his paintings aren't about specific messages but about how he feels and what he sees around him. His painting sessions are spontaneous. He picks the canvas size and colours, and then carefully starts to paint, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes longer, depending on how he feels. And when he's happy with his painting, he says, "Mama finish," revealed his mother, as per GWR. 

Now, his family wants to nurture his artistic talent through quality education and is exploring international scholarship options and opportunities for him to sell his artwork globally.