Meet the 10-year-old art prodigy taking Miami Art Week by storm (Sofia Vergara is already a fan)

A ten-year-old art prodigy has taken Miami Art week by storm, completely selling out of his collection of paintings priced from $5,000 to $20,000.

Andres Valencia, a fourth grader from San Diego, is the youngest artist to ever show at Art Miami, and he was a clear an immediate hit.

In the three days that the self-taught artist has been at the exhibition, he’s sold all 17 of his paintings, including one to Sofia Vergara.  

‘I’m so happy [Vergara] bought my piece,’ the youngster told the New York Post.

Small size, big talent! Andres Valencia, a fourth grader from San Diego, is the youngest artist to ever show at Art Miami

Going, going, gone! He completely sold out of his collection of paintings priced from $5,000 to $20,000

Going, going, gone! He completely sold out of his collection of paintings priced from $5,000 to $20,000

Famous fans pouring in! Stars including Brooke Shields have stopped by to see his work

Famous fans pouring in! Stars including Brooke Shields have stopped by to see his work

The Modern Family star wasn’t the only celebrity to stop by: Channing Tatum and Brooke Shields also made appearances, as has artist Shepard Fairey. 

Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort also bought one of his paintings, which go for up to $20,000.

Andres said he has been painting since he was four, and started improving his artistic skills by copying a painting hanging in his house. 

‘When I was little, I always liked to draw. And there was this painting in my living room that I really liked and I always liked to copy it, and I just got better,’ he told CBS Miami. 

‘I don’t have an art teacher yet, but I wanna get an art teacher soon,’ he added. 

Andres began painting at age four and loves artists including Picasso, Modigliani, Dali, and Basquiat

Andres began painting at age four and loves artists including Picasso, Modigliani, Dali, and Basquiat

When he started showing talents, his parents bought him all the art supplies he needed

When he started showing talents, his parents bought him all the art supplies he needed

He has never had an art teacher, and recently began doing larger-scale canvases — though he needed a ladder to reach parts of one

He has never had an art teacher, and recently began doing larger-scale canvases — though he needed a ladder to reach parts of one

Sofia Vergara even purchased a painting

Sofia Vergara even purchased a painting

His parents — Lupe, a federal criminal lawyer, and Elsa, a jewelry maker — noticed how talented Andres was early on and bought him the tools he needed to keep getting better. 

They noted that he is responsible for cleaning up any mess he makes, as well as his paint-stained clothes.

Andres’ favorite artists include Picasso, Modigliani, Dali, George Condo, and Basquiat, and he likes to listen to musicians like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Freddie Mercury, and Michael Jackson while he paints. 

‘I paint in little pieces. I work on it for an hour or two. Then I go do something else. I come back to it the next day and keep adding more,’ he said.

What he likes best, he told the Miami Herald, is that ‘you can express your feelings and stuff on canvas.’

Though Andres started with small paintings, he graduated to some bigger canvases during the pandemic — though they can be hard to reach.

‘He even painted an 84-by-48-inch canvas,’ his father, Guadalupe, said. ‘He uses a ladder.’

Andres’ first exhibition was in Soho last month at Chase Contemporary, and Nick Korniloff, Art Miami’s executive director, invited him to participate in Art Miami. 

'I paint in little pieces. I work on it for an hour or two. Then I go do something else. I come back to it the next day and keep adding more,' he said

‘I paint in little pieces. I work on it for an hour or two. Then I go do something else. I come back to it the next day and keep adding more,’ he said

He likes to listen to musicians like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Freddie Mercury, and Michael Jackson while he paints

What he likes best is that 'you can express your feelings and stuff on canvas'

He likes to listen to musicians like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Freddie Mercury, and Michael Jackson while he paints

Art Miami’s executive director said he's 'never witnessed someone this young so talented'

Art Miami’s executive director said he’s ‘never witnessed someone this young so talented’

‘I’ve been in the art world for nearly 30 years, and I’ve never witnessed someone this young so talented,’ he told the Post. ‘The art world’s responsibility is to find the next great artists, and we’ve done that with Andres. He’s gone global in 36 hours.’ 

Korniloff is also the founder of the Perry J. Cohen Foundation, named after his son Perry, who was lost at sea in 2015 when he was 14. Some of the proceeds from the sales of Andres’ paintings will go toward the foundation.

Understandably, Andres’ parents are incredibly proud of his success. 

‘It’s pretty amazing, you know, I’m really happy and proud, nervous; everything because you know my son is only 10 years old,’ his told NBC 6 South Florida.

Andres will also paint live at noon on Saturday at Art Miami.



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