When he visited the Pulse headquarters on Thursday, July 19, 2018, it had started to become a familiar feeling for him to be at the center of attention.
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Two weeks prior, he gained attention from Lagos residents and the entire world when he skillfully sketched a portraiture of France President Emmanuel Macron.
On Tuesday, July 3, 2018, the latter who was on a two-day visit to Nigeria arrived the Afrika Shrine to reveal the launch of the African Cultural Season expected to hold in France in the year 2020.
The President of France Emmanuel Macron showed that he was impressed with Kareem Waris Olamilekan's drawing of him.
The President of France Emmanuel Macron showed that he was impressed with Kareem Waris Olamilekan's drawing of him. [YouTube]
Pulse Nigeria
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The meeting was a big moment for Waris. His sketches gained appreciation from across the hall full of guests. Perfect lines from his drawing ensured a tweet from Macron appraising the quality of the work of art.
On meeting Emmanuel Macron
The young hyper-realist is happy about the meeting with Emmanuel Macron.
Getting the assignment to sketch a portrait of the French president was a task he is not likely to forget.
"To paint Emmanuel Macron. I am very happy," he pauses as he tried to gather his thoughts.
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"And to see a president of France, because I have never seen (met with) a president at all in my life," adds Waris who is learning to improve his craft at the Ayowole Academy of Arts.
Social media hit
On Instagram over 87 thousand people, including world celebrities follow his work. It is perhaps proof of the youngster's unique endowment.
On his visit to Pulse, he sets a new personal record when he completed a sketch of a model in just an hour.
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It was one designed to capture the sitting position of a family friend who is close to his heart.
Kareem Waris can be easily described as a kid whose thoughts are far advanced than his level.
The 11-year-old manifest the sort of intelligence that is uncommon with his age
The 11-year-old manifest the sort of intelligence that is uncommon with his age.
Pulse Nigeria
Some children his age won't have felt a need to make use of ambiguous words, but Waris is a rare exception when he included the word “aboriginal” in his sentence. He included this while breaking down the meaning of his nickname Waspa.
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Staying above lack has not been an easy one for him. I watched him closely and noticed that he had on a shirt he wore on his meeting with Macron.
His family is not able to afford luxuries but that will not deter him. He seemed convinced as many people have come to believe that the future holds bright promises.
At such a young age, the world is literally there for the taking.
