2 Year old artist holds art exhibition

2 Year old artist holds art exhibition

And in Australia, the buzz in the art world is about a two-year-old toddler artist. Her first exhibit in a Melbourne gallery has created quite a sensation along with skepticism over the authenticity of the art.

STORY:
Messing around with paint using her bare hands is a common sight for two-year-old Aelita Andre.

An exhibit of her paintings in a gallery in Melbourne has caused quite a stir in the Australian art scene.

[Robert Nelson, Art Critic and Art Professor]:
"It drew to the public's attention the quality of a child's imagination and the child's interest in art through proactive parents and to me that's a great thing to be watching."

But Nelson has doubts about whether Aelita is a child prodigy or simply a child collaborating under her parents' influence.

[Robert Nelson, Art Critic and Art Professor]:
"The colorful backdrop for the calligraphic marks that was probably put there by a parent, that's not the work of a child, certainly not a child of that age. So there's probably some degree of collaboration between parent and child."

Aelitas artist parents, Michael Andre and Russian born Nikka Kalashnikova, say they could see their daughters potential as soon as she began drawing in her Montessori playgroup.

[Michael Andre, Aelitas Father]:
"Well I mean I first noticed it in her playgroup when she was doing her water colors on paper. And to me I just naturally saw abstract representations, objects and scenes and various things. And to me, to me whatever she was doing was completely natural.

Even though Aelita could paint before she learned how to walk, her parents say she dictates everything on the canvas.

[Nikka Kalashnikova, Aelitas Mother]:
"I don't want to push her into anything. I really want her to explain her world, what she sees on canvas, whichever way she sees it, whichever way she wants it, whichever method she uses, it doesn't matter.

Aelita's paintings sell for anywhere between 240 and 1,400 U.S. dollars.

Her parents said they would likely place the proceeds of any sale into a trust fund set up for their daughter.