Art With a Purpose

Who: Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, 15
Where: Nigeria

Many artists hope their work will make it big. A young artist in Nigeria succeeded by making his art REALLY BIG.

The teen, who goes by Kanye, created the world’s largest art canvas, according to Guinness World Records. It’s bigger than two football fields and features giant emojis surrounding an even bigger ribbon.

The ribbon symbolizes autism. Kanye was born with the developmental disorder, which can affect how a person thinks, learns, and speaks. His autism makes it hard for him to communicate.

The goal of his art was to draw attention to the challenges that people with autism in Nigeria encounter. Many don’t have access to government resources to help them, and they face a stigma because the disorder is not well understood.

Nigerians celebrated Kanye’s feat. “We felt an overwhelming sense of relief and pride, knowing the . . . effort he poured into breaking the record,” his mother told reporters.

—Sean Price