Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, a 15-year-old autistic boy from Nigeria, has broken the world record for the largest painting on canvas by an individual.
The massive painting, entitled “Impossibility is a Myth” and measuring 12,303 square meters, was unveiled at Eagle Square in Abuja on April 2, a day internationally recognized as World Autism Awareness Day.
The canvas bursts with technicolor hues and features a large turquoise and coral infinity symbol at its center, a symbol of awareness and acceptance, Okeke’s mom Silva Tagbo-Okeke told CNN.
The canvas is also surrounded by vivid facial expressions capturing a wide range of human emotions.
Okeke’s previous paintings have often showcased a recurring theme of smiles and joy, his mother, Silva, added.
“He doesn’t talk, but he wants his art to tell his story on his behalf,” she said.
Okeke’s success proves the “boundless potential of people with autism,” the British High Commission in Nigeria said in a statement.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu wrote in a statement posted on X that the 15-year-old is “brave, audacious and tenacious” for his art and activism.
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Okeke’s parents learned their son was on the autism spectrum when he was around 2 or 3 years old, Guinness World Records reported. Hoping to give him a creative outlet, they introduced him to painting, thus starting his long history of painting.
At just 8 years old, Okeke had already made international waves, becoming the youngest recipient of the Flame of Peace Award in Austria, for his art’s powerful impact on peace.
“The way he uses his art to express himself, and the colors he uses and how he mixes them, and how he puts in so much vigor when he’s painting, and how he focuses at that point in time,” Okeke’s dad told CNN. “He’s busy and he’s focused, and nothing stops him.”
“This opens a whole new world of possibilities for special needs children and their caregivers,” he added, talking about his son’s world record.
“In addition to autism awareness, inclusion and neurodiversity, it also gives hope that there are infinite possibilities in every human irrespective of the diagnosis.”
The previous world record holder for the largest art canvas, Emad Salehi, painted 9,652 square meters or just over 100,000 square feet.
