With his luxury coffee table books, museum acquisitions, collaborations with celebrities, and a growing base of prominent collectors, child prodigy Andres Valencia continues to conquer the art world.
Valencia (born in 2011) became the youngest artist to exhibit his works at the Art Miami fair in 2021. His large cubism-inspired portraits quickly sold out. Spectators gathered to watch him paint live alongside Caribbean-born artist Bradley Theodore. Dozens waited in line to meet him and sign up for the waiting list for his future works.
Some fair visitors even climbed ladders to get a better view of the California-born artist. Security guards had to warn them.
A year later, his painting Ms. Cube was auctioned for an astonishing 162.000 dollars – more than three times its estimated value.
Now, those who don’t have the budget to buy six-figure art can take a peek into the creative process of this self-taught artist and his growing career. On February 18th, publishing house Penguin Random House will release the book Andres Valencia: Painting Without Rules. Valencia co-wrote it with Alexander M. Rigby, an editor from The New York Times bestsellers list.
The boy’s art
The book offers a glimpse into how Valencia blends colors and sketches with oil pastels, quickly creating vivid figurative narratives with deconstructed shapes, inspired by his imagination and influences from artists like Picasso, George Condo, and Frida Kahlo.
Valencia started painting at the age of five. In recent years, he has gained confidence, which has been evident since I first met him as a shy boy at Art Miami to his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in May 2024.
Admiring the paint drips running from the sombrero of a monumental portrait of a mariachi singer that Valencia painted from a ladder, Kimmel asked, “You were nine years old when you painted this, and then you decided, ‘You know what, I’ll make it perfect by splattering some paint on the side’?”
“Yes,” Valencia replied.
“Were you worried you’d ruin the whole piece if you did that?” Kimmel asked.
“Oh, of course. I was worried I’d hit the face,” Valencia responded.
“Do you ever struggle to know when to stop painting?” Kimmel continued.
“Sometimes I just feel like it’s done,” Valencia said, overcoming a challenge that troubles many experienced artists.
The youngest speaker at a renowned club
Many artists struggle with public speaking, but at 13, Valencia is already mastering this skill. In April, Faena Rose, a private arts and culture club in Miami, will host Valencia to discuss his book release, his art, and his career. He will be the youngest speaker to take the stage after world-renowned artists such as Mickalene Thomas and the late Christo.
Valencia mingles with celebrities, including V (Kim Taehyung) from the South Korean band BTS, actors Sofia Vergara, Brooke Shields, and Channing Tatum, Dutch footballer Memphis Depay, Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos, Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G, television host and journalist Michael Strahan, and businesswoman and curator Jessica Goldman, all of whom collect his works.
Last July, he joined gala ambassador, actress Eva Longoria – who owns his artwork – at the Global Gift Gala 2024 in Marbella, Spain. There, one of his pieces sold for 140.000 euros, with the money going to charity.
His works in prominent collections
Confirming his credibility in the art world, his works are part of the collections of Eugenio Lopez Alonso, founder of Jumex Group, and the Toll family, one of the leading collectors of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The Museo Jumex in Mexico City will exhibit six of his works in 2026.
Soon, rare fine art lithographs of Valencia’s works will be available from Mourlot Editions, a 173-year-old Parisian printing house that has collaborated with masters like Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Miro, Braque, Dubuffet, Leger, and Giacometti. Or you can find his original works exclusively at Chase Contemporary Gallery in New York.
“Do you set the prices?” Kimmel asked.
“The gallery does that,” Valencia replied.
“Do you ever argue with the gallery and say, ‘It should be a little more expensive’?” Kimmel pressed.
“No,” the young artist answered, Forbes writes.
