As Nigeria commemorated World Autism Day 2025 on April 2, the global art scene witnessed the rise of a new luminary: 15-year-old Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke.
The young autistic artist etched his name into history by shattering the Guinness World Record for the largest art canvas.
Kanyeyachukwu's achievement eclipses that of contemporary British painter Sacha Jafri, whose 17,000-square-foot painting, "The Journey of Humanity", held the title since February 2021.
Now, the Guinness World Record website declares: "The largest art canvas is 12,303.87 m² (132,437 ft² 116.85 in²) and was achieved by Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke (Nigeria) in Abuja, Nigeria, on 26 November 2024."
The unveiling of Kanyeyachukwu’s artwork at Eagle Square in Abuja was a moment of national pride, recognised by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
In a message shared on X, Tinubu lauded Kanyeyachukwu's spirit: "You said, ‘Impossibility is a myth,’ and you set out to prove that impossibility was nothing when you created the largest art canvas in the world at 12,303.87 square meters. You are Brave, Audacious, and Tenacious.”
This year's World Autism Day theme, “Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” resonates deeply with Kanyeyachukwu's accomplishment.
GWR says Ace-Liam uses a technique that involves manipulating acrylic paint across a canvas.
Nigeria's Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, captured the significance of Kanyeyachukwu's contribution at the announcement ceremony, stating, "He (Tagbo-Okeke) has turned his creativity into a powerful voice for inclusion, proving that talent has no boundaries and, indeed, impossibilities."
