The preschooler hails from Pune and moved to New Brunswick, Canada, in 2016 with his family. He became the youngest artist in the history of Canada’s Saint John Arts Centre to have a solo exhibition in January.
Advait Kolarkar might be all of 4, but this young man, armed with his brushes, paints and fascination of galaxies, dinosaurs and dragons, is ruling the art world in Canada.
The preschooler hails from Pune and moved to New Brunswick, Canada, in 2016 with his family. He became the youngest artist in the history of Canada’s Saint John Arts Centre to have a solo exhibition in January.
The 4-year-old artist’s paintings are selling for thousands of dollars today. His exhibition titled ‘Colour Blizzard’ had paintings selling for almost $2,000 (over Rs 1.3 lakhs).
He gained tremendous industry and media attention after his artworks were recently exhibited at the ArtExpo in New York which is synonymous with the world’s largest fine art trade show. Many artists spend a lifetime, to experience the honour of being featured at this show. But the 4-year-old munchkin has done it, and how!
Speaking to the Vancouver Sun, Advait’s mother, Shruti Kolarkar, who is also a commercial artist, revealed how the young boy picked up the brush when he was merely a year old.
She goes on to explain how even his artworks were not merely a play with colours but creations with a sense of composition and colour. She adds how each of his canvases with titles like “Supernova” and “Jellyfish” are a wash of well-composed colour, thickly layered by hand and brush.
“Every stroke, every layer is his feelings, his expression,” she told CTV Atlantic.
Here are a few of his artworks:
Supernova: An exploding star which becomes brightest before the final catastrophe, where it ejects most of the mass, gets an imitative form. This raw manipulation of the event is another demonstration of Advait’s penchant for the universe and its possibilities.Source: Facebook/Advait Kolarkar
Neverland by Advait Kolarkar. Source: Advait’s website
Three Peacocks by Avait Kolarkar. Source: Advait’s website
Enchanted Forest by Avait Kolarkar. Source: Advait’s website\
Read more: How 30 Artists Breathed New Life Into Mumbai’s 142-Year-Old Sassoon Docks!
Shruti expresses how Advait’s work is spontaneous, and he doesn’t need anybody to instruct or influence him, while he paints.
She had approached Bernard Cormier, the city’s Cultural Officer soon after moving to Canada about showcasing Advait’s work at a local library. Cormier who was impressed by the boy’s talents realised his paintings deserved a more significant exhibition. It was he who believed that Advait could be the youngest Canadian to exhibit his paintings.
Speaking to CTV, he said, “I’ve never seen someone that age dabble in the paint in the way that he does. I’ve been exposed to artwork all my life, and I see something special in this young boy, so why not encourage him?”
Shruti is overjoyed at how her son’s work is getting the recognition it deserves and says, “His happiness is very important to us. We want him to enjoy art the way he is enjoying it now throughout his life.”
Have a look at more of Advait’s artworks here.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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