By Freddie Noble
Meet pint-sized Picasso – the world’s youngest male artist who first picked up a brush at just six months old.
Little Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah, now 22 months, created his first masterpiece – a “vibrant abstract piece” – aged six months after his parents set up the activity to keep him entertained.
His mum, Chantelle Kuuka-Eghan, 25, immediately noticed her son’s artistic ability and encouraged him to keep expressing himself through art.
Since then Ace-Liam has painted 30 abstract pictures using bright colours and his paintings started to gain traction after his mum set up his Instagram account.
He’s gone on to exhibit his artwork in galleries and also sells his paintings – which range from a $200 to $1k each.
Ace-Liam has sold 11 pieces so far, including nine at auction at the Science and Technology Museum in Accra, Ghana – becoming the youngest person to exhibit a painting there.
The tot was officially declared the world’s youngest painter at one year and 152 days by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Proud mum Chantelle said: “It was quite nerve-wracking because there were people that had also applied for Guinness World Record but most of them were disqualified.
“While waiting for the result, I was so nervous and anxious, thinking maybe we could be in the same situation as them.
“However, he was the first person to receive a successful email – making him the youngest painter in the world.
“As much as he is into art and got this recognition, he’ll grow up to be a normal kid but with a little bit less spotlight.”
At six month old Ace-Liam picked up the paint brush for the first time and his mum said he could “barely” hold it.
She said: “He could barely hold his brush so he used his palms and he also tried to stand up, so you can see his footprint as well.
“When he was around 11 months I had no idea he knew how to dip a brush into paint and put it onto a canvas.
“He started choosing his own colours and learning which colours match with each other because sometimes he would pick pink and then he would match it with purple.”
Ace-Liam displayed 10 of his artworks at the Science and Technology Museum in when he was 1 year 4 month.
Most of his paintings use a technique where the painting is moved across the canvas using hands and feet to create a unique finish.
Chantelle said: “I have given him his own studio space and I have set up everything in a way that is to his height.
“He goes there and reaches and paints himself and choses the colours, even the brush size he wants to use.
“When he is extremely happy he goes in for neon colours and sometimes he gets a little bit relaxed and just wants to try out new things.
“When I get him a new sets of paint, he goes more to the multi colours but I think his favourite colour is pink as well.”
In June, 2023 Chantelle entered Ace-Liam into the Guinness World Records and said she was “confident” that Ace-Liam would get the record.
She said: “We applied in June 2023. One of the rules is that it had to be attempted by a male and by someone who paints.
“They mention that the person has to be a part of a professional arts exhibition.
“I was super excited because I was nervous prior to getting the result just because other people had attempted the record and have been disqualified.
“At the same time I was very confident because I had taken my time to read the rules.”
On May 13, 2024, Ace-Liam received the news he had become the world’s youngest painter but his mum Chantelle said he is none the wiser.
She said: “He’s getting more attention than usual, frankly he doesn’t know what it is for.
“When he is on TV and there are cameras on him, usually there are requests for him to a live painting demonstration.”
