Dr. Fola David, a Nigerian doctor and hyper-realism artist, has shattered a Guinness World Record for the largest drawing by an individual. This Lagos-based visual artist embarked on an ambitious journey to create a 1,000-square-meter masterpiece highlighting Nigeria’s diverse cultures. The six-day challenge began on July 16 at Onikan Stadium.
By Friday night, David announced on Instagram, “Congratulations to us all. On Day 4 at 9 pm, we broke the current record of 629.98 square meters, but we are not done! As the goal is to get over 1,000 square meters of canvas covered in drawings; we are currently at 689 square meters. Let’s go!”
David’s remarkable feat attracted several notable Nigerians. Among them were Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party; former Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci; and popular businessman Farooq Oreagba, who also made headlines as the KIng of Steeze at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival.
Additionally, David received significant support from his alma mater, the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. The institution’s management, including the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Olufemi Fasanmade, and the Director of Administration, College of Medicine, Dr. Olayinka Martins, honored David with an Award of Honour and Merit, further recognizing his outstanding achievement and exemplary ambassadorship.
The record-breaking attempt concluded on July 21, culminating in an artwork spanning an impressive 850 square meters, surpassing the previous record of 629.98 square meters held by India’s Ravi Soni.
In recognition of this monumental accomplishment, Ahmed Sodangi, Director General of the National Gallery of Art, accompanied by the Aisha Augie, Director General of CBACC, and Kaltum Gana, AD/CEO of the National Troupe of Nigeria, also proudly presented Dr. Fola David with a Certificate of Achievement.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu celebrated Dr. Fola David’s world record achievement for the largest hand-drawing, praising his excellence and also service from the pandemic to this monumental accomplishment. Sanwo-Olu lauded David’s creativity and dedication, expressing pride in supporting such extraordinary talent within Lagos.
The drawing, “Unity in Diversity,” beautifully portrays Nigeria’s rich cultural mosaic through distinctive attire, languages, and artistic expressions, celebrating the nation’s vibrant heritage and also conveying an overarching message of love and peace essential to our development as a nation.
Fola David has created canvas works for prominent figures such as the Ooni of Ife Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Patoranking, Trey Songz, Wale, Keri Hilson, R-Kelly, Jidenna, 2face, among others.
