I don’t know what they’re putting in the prenatal vitamins in Europe these days, but whatever it is, it’s working.

Before his parents became embroiled in a fight with Eindhoven University in the Netherlands, math genius Laurent Simmons was set to graduate with a degree in engineering at the tender age of nine.

Laurent Simmons has the maths and science side of child-genius covered. Representing the humanities, we have seven-year-old Mikail Akar, a young painter from Germany who is selling his work for some pretty tidy sums.

Here’s CNA:

Dubbed the “pre-school Picasso” by German media, Akar’s paintings sell for thousands of euros to buyers from across the world.

“At just seven years old, he is established in the art world. There is interest from Germany, France and the USA,” his father and manager, Kerem Akar, told AFP.

His latest collection is a collaboration with Germany and Bayern Munich footballer Manuel Neuer. One work from the collection recently sold for €11 000 (over R127 000).

An explosion of colour reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, the piece is typical of Akar’s abstract expressionist style.

The seven-year-old tells AFP that his idols include Pollock, Michael Jackson and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

He has also developed his own techniques, which include applying paint by punching the canvas with his father’s boxing gloves.

If you’re looking at the paintings and thinking “my seven-year-old could have painted that”, apparently you’d be wrong. The key to his work is his perfect composition of colour and shapes, imagination and variation.

Most people assume that the work is painted by an adult, and are usually shocked to find out it was created by a child.

Here he is having a blast creating his collection, which he started painting in November last year:

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he said this:

“When I’m older I want to be a football player,” he said, launching into an excited account of a recent 8-0 victory with his school team.

“Painting is quite tiring for me. Sometimes it can take a long time … especially with boxing gloves,” he said.

He’s been on the planet for a grand total of seven years and he already has burnout.

Poor kid.

[source:cna]