A chicken with human tendencies has earned an art prize for a Torquay seven-year-old from Belgium.
Lanse Vanhaelen won the Young Australian Arts Awards prize for Ted the Chickenman which he painted during holiday art classes with Ocean Grove’s Kaz McGlynn.
The subject of Lanse’s painting was a chicken that dressed as a human to discover the world, explained a spokesperson for the awards.
“The award is a huge accolade for a little boy who moved to Victoria from Belgium with his family just three years ago and could not speak a word of English,” the spokesperson said.
“He’s bright, social, funny and an animal lover.
“Along with his obsession with art, he’s quickly developing a passion for surfing away the early mornings with his dad and big brother, Thor.”
The award was not the first accolade for the Torquay College grade one student, the spokesperson said.
“Lanse was awarded Best Illustrator of the Year at Torquay College for his book The Cave of Doom, a story that he not only wrote but illustrated himself.
“It’s clear Lanse has a big future ahead of him and that this award is just the beginning.”
