Pune child prodigy artist poised for London solo display

London: Advait Kolarkar, a seven-year-old child prodigy from Pune, is hard at work for the first solo exhibition in London of his vibrant paintings to be held at Gagliardi Gallery starting next month.

The schoolboy, who is currently in the process of completing his collection for the exhibition, started painting as he played with food colours at just eight months old. His mother, Shruti, a visual designer herself, and software engineer father Amit spotted potential talent and handed him a canvas.

“The walls of our house bear Advait’s creative flair that comes out in promising shapes,” Shruti told PTI, as the family prepared for his London solo debut. “He is very thrilled and can’t wait to be in London to present his artistry and meet new people. He is already dreaming and imagining how things will take place.

He has created a wide range of paintings for the show and is in the process of creating some more,” said the proud mum.

According to her, Advait’s paintings incorporate stories born out of his vivid imagination. His canvas is covered with motifs such as oceans and dinosaurs, etched with a range of tools – from brushes, rollers, spatulas to fingers and hands – as he enjoys experimenting with a variety of materials. Advait, who has exhibited his works in India and around the world in the US and Canada, is the 2020 winner of the Global Child Prodigy Award. – PTI