After a pandemic hiatus, Art Basel Miami reeled in art lovers and celebrities from all over the world. The eclectic shows and pieces of art created a lot of buzz, including paintings from a 10-year-old.
"It just came natural to me," said Andres Valencia.
So natural, Valencia’s paintings at Art Miami were sold out in three days.He sold 17 paintings ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Celebrities like Sofia Vergara and Channing Tatum bought his work.
"Some of the ones I made [was] when I was 8 and 9. Some of the ones are lucky The Observer, Abraham, and Pepinp the Clown," said Valencia.
"Kinda heartbreaking and sad to see some of these paintings that have lived with us leave, but there’s also a lot of joy and happiness," said Valencia's father, Guadalupe.
Valencia's parents said they saw their sons talent and artistic eye early on.
"Since he could pick up a marker and a pen and sketch, he’s been doing art. We noticed since he was four or five years old, he was doing things that would always surprise us," said Guadalupe.
An artist and a philanthropist. Part of the proceeds of Valencia's sales will benefit the Perry J. Cohen Foundation, a nonprofit named after a 14-year-old boy who went missing at sea in 2015.
"He’s an incredible artist. He’s a young prodigy and it was a great collaboration and it was really lovely to see how many people reacted to him so positively as we first did," said founder of the Perry J. Cohen Foundation, Pamela Cohen.
"Knowing that part of the money is going to a great foundation for a great cause makes the whole process much more fulfilling than just selling the art," added Guadalupe.
What’s next for Valencia? He told our Melissa Marrero that he’s going to keep painting until he sees his art in the Louvre Museum.
