Wonderkind and art prodigy Mikail Akar is making waves in the art world at the tender age of just 10 years old. The talented creator already is a bona fide painter with works found worldwide and showcasing in numerous exhibitions around the globe. His colorful work appeals to lovers of contemporary art as the prodigy draws his inspiration from famed contemporary artists including Jackson Pollock, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gerhard Richter. His second New York exhibition “UNBELIEVABLE” is on public display now at the Modus10 – Rolf Benz Flagship Store in SoHo until May 31st, 2023 and comprises 23 works on canvas and paper of various sizes and in the price range of $8,000 – $16,000.
Mikail’s art was included as part of the ArtExpo New York Fine Art Fair 2023 at Pier 36 and in recent days Mikail held a live painting session held at dawn at the iconic Empire State Building with graffiti artist Luca. In addition, Mikail currently has an exhibition at the Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg, Germany running until May 2023 and in another project Mikail recently custom painted the hood of a $450,000 Rolls-Royce motorcar. A reception to celebrate “UNBELIEVABLE” was held at the Modus10 – Rolf Benz Flagship Store in SoHo which attracted luminaries from the arts and New York social scene. Amongst the notable attendees were; Mikail Akar, Kerem Akar, Elvan Akar, Mina Akar, Francis Tan, Vincent Tam, Carmen D’Alessio, Tina Radziwell, George Wayne, Montgomery Frazier, Minnie Osmena, 0H10 M1KE, Cagri Kanver, Marsin Mogielski, Jose Castelo Branco, Sharif Sinclair, Neil Saltzman, Brigitte Segura and Nadja Sayej.
Born in 2012 in Cologne, Mikail Akar’s career began by chance. For his fourth birthday his parents gave him a small canvas and finger paints simply because they wanted to give him an alternative gift to usual toys he already had. Mikail began his prolific artistic journey at this exact moment, and to this day he paints at his Studio in Cologne, Germany. His talents were seen in a first painting and his parents fully encouraged him to continue his work. Watching Online video tutorias together Mikail learned certain painting techniques and soon the little artist began to paint nonstop. His introduction into the art world launched shortly after with adult artists wanting to preview his work more and more.
Mikail has already held several exhibitions in cities across Germany including Cologne, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, where international art collectors soon became aware of the young artist. This led to other shows in Vienna, Zurich, Istanbul, and New York City. As a visual artist, Mikail does not want to limit himself to canvases. He recently painted a wreckage part of the Airbus 310, which was exhibited in Cologne/Bonn Airport, and will be exhibited at other international airports in the future. The young artist also has a philanthropic side and has gained notable attention with his work being auctioned for good causes such as the “Art Helps to Give” campaign. One of his most recent collaborations has been with the mineral water brand, Gerolsteiner with the Mikail Akar Artist Edition, where Mikail’s art was printed on more than 17 million water bottles. Additionally, the painter has also launched charity events in Turkey to help local people during the earthquake in 2020 with the Civil Protection authority AFAD. He has also painted numerous times together with German celebrities such as the Höhner, Laith Al-Deen, Manuel Neuer or Peter Maffay and has appeared on German TV show “Klein Gegen Gross” moderated by Kai Pflaume – one of the highest rated entertainment shows in Germany. Other projects which Mikail is currently working on include painting a series of three classic cars which will be going on a roadshow in the near future. In addition, he is working to create a 165 ft. (50 meter) long canvas painting for a secret project – watch this space for details. Despite his adventures as a creative artist, Mikail has remained a normal child, going to school in Cologne and is fully supported by his parents and two siblings.
Images courtesy of Sean Zanni for PMC / Getty Images
