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Young at art

27/11/2003

HE may only be ten-years-old but Kious Jones' startling self-portrait is hanging on the wall of Manchester's most prestigious gallery.

Kious is the youngest artist to be included in a touring exhibition of self-portraits that includes pictures by celebrities such as news reader Jon Snow and supermodel Jodie Kidd.

Incredibly the Cavendish Road Primary schoolboy's work was one of just 100 self-portraits selected from 5000 entries to be included in the exhibition.

Talented Kious is the only artist in the exhibition who is still at junior school.

Kious said: "When I saw it hanging up in the gallery I was shocked. It was really weird to see my picture and my face being looked at by other people. I felt really proud."

South Manchester also has two other teenagers represented: Parveen Begum,15, and Nadia Hanseef, 16, both of Levenshulme High whose imaginative self-portarits were also included.

Kious's picture is hanging next to actress Jenny Agutter's effort. He said: "I was so surprised that mine was one of the ones selected. I told my mum and she went mad and started shouting. She was so pleased she told all her friends and made them go and see it."

The youngster produced the picture in his art class at school and was encouraged by his teacher Patricia Dookun. After he had finished the masterpiece she said she thought it was fantastic.

Kious created his self-portrait from memory and painted it in a selection of water colours. He said it reminded him of the Rugrats cartoons because of all the bright colours that he used.

He is keen to carry on with his art work when he leaves Cavendish next year to go to Chorlton High.

Kious said: "I love painting and draw animals all the time. When I'm older and I leave school I really want to be an artist."

• For more information about the Self-Portrait Exhibition turn to the Weekender section of the paper.