Guinness World Records Crowns Youngest Male Artist, And He’s Only One Year Old
By Mikelle Leow, 30 May 2024
Image generated on AI
The art world has a new wunderkind—and he’s barely out of diapers. Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah, a toddler from Ghana, has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest male artist ever at the tender age of one year and 152 days.
Ace-Liam’s artistic journey began even earlier, at just six months old. His mother, Chantelle Kuukua Eghan, herself an artist, first noticed his fascination with paint. While working on a commission, she provided a just-crawling Ace-Liam with a canvas and some paint to keep him occupied. Little did she know, this would spark a creative fire in her son.
Ace-Liam’s explorations with paint resulted in his first masterpiece, aptly titled The Crawl. He even met the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana (pictured above) during his first group retrospective at The Soundout Premium Exhibition at the country’s Museum of Science and Technology, in which nine out of 10 of his masterpieces were sold.
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This early exposure to creativity blossomed into a full-fledged passion. The boy’s preferred technique involves using his hands and body to maneuver acrylic paint across the canvas, creating vibrant and abstract works inspired by the world around him.
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“Once he’s done, he says ‘mama finish,’” his mom relates. The pint-sized painter received his Guinness World Record title on December 15, 2023, with the organization finally telling his story this month.
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In case you’re wondering, the record for youngest female artist—and, consequently, the youngest professional artist—is held by Arushi Bhatnagar from India, who in 2007 hosted her first solo exhibition at just 11 months old.
As for little Ace-Liam, his proud family is exploring opportunities for him to receive quality art education and showcase his work on a wider platform. There’s no telling where this young artist's journey will take him, but one thing’s for sure—his baby steps will turn into something more.
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[via BBC, New York Post, Guinness World Records, images via various sources]