A 15-year-old Nigerian boy with autism has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest canvas painting in the world, aiming to raise awareness about autism.
Kanyin Yat-chukwu Tagbu-Ogiki painted a colorful ribbon—the symbol of autism—surrounded by icons of emotion, covering an area of 12,304 square meters, far larger than a typical football pitch, which measures 7,140 square meters.
This enormous artwork aims to highlight autism spectrum disorder and the challenges faced by individuals like him amid the stigma and limited resources in Nigeria.
Tagbu-Ogiki, whose condition limits his ability to speak, expressed, “I feel fine. Happy. Just fine.”
His painting surpassed the previous record held by Imad Salah, who was 42 when he achieved a canvas covering 9,652 square meters.
The artwork, completed in November 2024, was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records organizers in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, during World Autism Awareness Day in April.
Tagbu-Ogiki was born in Canada before moving to Nigeria. His father stated in a press interview that there has always been fear, confusion, and sadness for his son throughout their journey.
The father added, “Not being able to communicate with your child or engage in normal activities that you could do with any other child is extremely frustrating.”
