As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Autism Day, a 15-year-old Nigerian autistic artist, Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, has shattered expectations with his extraordinary artistic feat.
World Autism Awareness Day is an international observance dedicated to raising awareness about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and promoting acceptance, inclusion, and support for individuals with autism.
Observed every 2nd April, the date was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 to highlight autism as a growing global health issue and encourage worldwide support for individuals with autism and their families.
After spending three months working tirelessly on a canvas spanning an astonishing 12,303 square metres, Kanye has achieved what many deemed impossible.
His artwork, entitled “Impossibility is a Myth,” surpassed the previous record of 9,652 square metres. The project, which began in November 2024, was completed with the support of JC Best Schools and aimed at raising autism awareness.
In an exclusive interview yesterday with Kanye’s mother, Dr. Silvia Tagbo-Okeke, she said Kanye’s passion for painting is more than a hobby; it is his life.
She explained that the journey had been both a financial and emotional investment for Kanye’s family, who have poured countless resources into making his dream a reality. Kanye’s mother reflected on the challenging yet rewarding journey of her son’s record-breaking artistic achievement.
She noted that, over three months, Kanye, a 15-year-old with autism, completed a remarkable 12,303 square-metre painting, a feat many believed impossible for someone with limited verbal abilities.
Despite the numerous challenges, including financial strain and the daily commute to his school, Kanye’s passion for painting drove him to overcome every obstacle.
His mother emphasised the importance of love, support, and acceptance in fostering his potential.
According to her, Kanye’s work not only serves as a personal achievement but also aims to raise awareness for autism, acceptance, and inclusion.
She said her ultimate goal for Kanye is his independence, expressing hope that one day he will thrive on his own.
“I would say relief. It has been a long journey, three months actually. There is a sense of relief and accomplishment, not for me, but for Kanye. As you can see, the canvas is huge. It’s 12,303 square metres. If somebody had said, ‘Okay, a 15-year-old autistic boy with limited verbal speech can do this,’ a lot of people would say impossible. That’s what it is, the Impossibility Myth. However, nothing is impossible; once you set your mind to it, definitely you can do it.
“A whole lot of things went into Kanye creating this amazing work We had to go every morning to his school. We would drive to his school and then get the space for the first stroke of the brush. But the Chief of Defence Staff was really amazing. He gave us the first break we had by providing us with a 760th goggle ladder for the first stroke of the brush as part of their army-civil relationship. After that, we moved the canvas to his school, JC Best, and then we started painting. It was a bit hard, but looking at it today, it was worth it.
Dr. Tagbo-Okeke has good advice for parents with special needs children.
“The impact we want it to have on other children on the spectrum is for people to accept them for who they are, for inclusion, for awareness for those people that are not aware that there is even anything like autism. So basically, the things that Kanye is trying to achieve with this monumental work are autism awareness, autism acceptance, inclusion, and neurodiversity,” she said.
When asked what she hoped for his future concerning this huge project, she said she wanted her son to be self-sufficient.
“For me, I just want Kanye to be independent. That’s all. Independent. As parents, we don’t want our children to suffer, especially when we are no longer there. So that’s my goal for Kanye, that if I’m no longer there, he will not suffer. That’s just it.
“We have to tell them about Kanye. We have to create an environment of love and acceptance for him. Everybody, my kids, the first thing we talk about is Kanye. We tell people about him so that they understand that being different is not bad. He’s just different. He just thinks differently,” she said.
She said his cousins, his grandma, granddad, extended family, and friends all supported him.
Kanye’s mother noted that for anybody, not even someone on the autism spectrum, to be able to achieve this feat, they must enjoy painting.
“Painting is his life. Painting gives him joy. Painting is just part of him. That’s why it wasn’t that hard for him to do this. As I’m talking to you, every day he would dress up in his main clothes. He wants to paint. It’s not work for him. It’s just like breathing for him. That’s why he’s able to do it. And if you lay another canvas like this for him, he will still do it without breaking a sweat.”
She admitted that a lot of money went into the venture.
“The paint alone cost hundreds of millions. My husband and I, we had a donor, but the money didn’t go far at all. We had to put everything we had. We made unimaginable sacrifices, but we are glad those sacrifices were made. As we celebrate World Autism Day, mine is autism awareness. Tell people about your child.”
She further urged parents with autistic children to accept their children for who they are and show them love, saying that it is difficult because, at times, such challenges can be difficult to deal with.
“But always show them love because they don’t just come and say, ‘I’m just going to misbehave today.’ Something triggers it. Show them love. Show them attention. And just have it at the back of your mind that every child, if the right resources, the right time, the right attention, the right love is given to a child, they normally excel.
“And to everybody out there, no child should be left behind, no matter what. Every child matters, irrespective of the diagnosis.”
Kanye’s brother, Ozichukwu Tagbo-Okeke, said he’s very proud that someone he is related to and so close to, whom he loves, is accomplishing such a great feat.
“I’m lost for words. It’s really amazing seeing him soar to the heights that he’s getting to. When he was small, he used to like drawing and colouring, and they saw that he had an interest in that. So, from that interest, they pushed him, and they pushed his dream for him to accomplish what he has accomplished today.”
He said his brother’s achievement showed parents that their special needs children can accomplish their dreams if supported by their parents and society.
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