One-year-old Ghanaian breaks Guinness World Record, inspires call for early talent nurturing

Ghanaian artist Amarkine Amateifio is calling on parents across Ghana and Africa to nurture their children’s talents from a young age, highlighting the impact this can have on their future success. This appeal follows the recent achievement of one-year-old Ace Liam, who broke a Guinness World Record, showcasing the potential young children possess when given the opportunity to explore their abilities.

Ace Liam’s groundbreaking achievement was announced at a press conference on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. His journey to the record books began with an ambitious attempt to mimic his mother’s daily activities in her studio.

Chantelle Eghan, Ace Liam’s mother, shared her experience, stating, “He paints when he sees me painting. If I have my setup, he’ll pull his chair and easily come and sit beside me.” She described how, even as a six-month-old, Ace began blending and spreading paint on a canvas, and by 11 months, he was intuitively using a paintbrush.

Ace Liam’s milestone surprised many Ghanaians who were skeptical about a one-year-old’s ability to create meaningful art. However, Amateifio views Ace Liam’s feat as an important milestone. “All children are like that. They come into the world as artists, scientists, and engineers. It is we, the adults, who stop them from maintaining this. I’ll give all the credit to the home environment and particularly to his mother, Kukua, who created the enabling environment for the gifts this child has brought into this world to flourish,” he said.

Guinness World Records recognized Ace Liam following his exhibition in Accra from January 18 to 20, 2024, breaking the 31-year-old record held by Dante Lamb, who achieved the milestone at age three in 2003.

Amateifio stressed the importance of nurturing children’s natural inclinations, saying, “At a very early age, all children show their natural inclinations. Children come here to contribute and make the world a better place. This Guinness World Record for Liam should act as an inspiration for parents to pay more attention to their children, provide all the resources, and give the child all the necessary tools so that their gift will flourish.”