Medway toddler’s artwork to be displayed at Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate

A two-year-old’s artwork has been chosen to go on display in a prestigious art gallery.

The parents of Milo Zheng, from Hoo, say they are “immensely proud” of his recent achievement.

His piece is currently on display at the Portfolio Exhibition in the Turner Contemporary, Margate.

Proud mum and dad Mingming Zheng and Daniel Lacey say Milo first showed his natural passion for art when he was just one.

“We were waiting for his sister one day and he looked a bit bored,” 34-year-old Mingming said.

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“There were some pens and pencils on the table, so I gave him a bit of paper and he started drawing some lines.

“He did it for at least half and hour. I thought ‘wow’ – for his age that is amazing, because children don’t usually sit for a long time and have the patience.

“After that I asked him to do some more, which he was happy to.”

Daniel, 41, added: “It was quite unusual, we weren’t really expecting it.

“He loves it and will sit there for a long period just drawing.”

They say Milo has done more than 100 pieces since then – using crayons, paint sticks, pens and acrylic paint.

It seems artistic flair runs in the family, with Mingming previously studying design at university.

She worked as art editor, creating book covers for a publishing company, before becoming a full-time mum.

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Milo’s sister, Isabel, also has a number of accolades.

The nine-year-old’s work was exhibited at St George’s Arts Centre in Gravesend and Royal Academy of Arts in London, and she won a Maidstone Young Artist Award in 2022.

Despite being so young, Mingming says Milo’s “unwavering dedication is remarkable”.

“He paints everyday, but it depends,” she explained.

“Sometimes he stays and does it for a long period of time, others he will do a little bit and then go play with his cars.

“Some days it is all he wants to do.

“He would hold his brush or pencil in one hand and his favourite red bus in the other.

“I have even found him sleep still holding a tube of acrylic, lying in our bed – he won’t let it go!”

Despite undergoing an operation on his right hand earlier this year, Milo defied expectations and returned to painting, happily using his left hand to draw.

The tot was born prematurely, which caused issues and resulted in damage to three of his fingers.

“He’s okay now and a very healthy boy,” Mingming added.

“We love him. It’s amazing really, we are so proud.”

Milo’s artwork will be on display at the Turner until Sunday, September 10.

The piece took him two days to create, and has been named “Conscientious Cans”.

Daniel said: “He’d already painted a load of old cans, so it just seemed a good idea. It really fitted in with the theme of the competition.

“He’s young and he can express himself in ways that feel natural to him. We want to encourage that and see how it goes.

“We went along to the preview show and he spotted it and pointed. He also recognised his sister’s pictures that were there too.”