Born in the republic of Georgia, Beso Kazaishvilli's early childhood was spent during the civil war that ravaged the republic in 1993.
When Beso was 4, he fell asleep and his life was changed forever."I had a dream that I must do paintings," Beso said. "To unite kids. In the dream, Christ was crying. Many eyes were crying because of the fighting, the war."
Beso was touched by brilliance. He woke up and began to create art.
Now, the 13-year-old artist sells in galleries all over the globe for large fees. At his recent exhibition in Beverly Hills, one of his ink drawings went for $3,000, and his sales hit $30,000 in an hour.
His most famous work, "What a Wonderful World It Would Be," was recently featured on a commemorative cancellation stamp in Los Angeles.
In January, selections from Beso's "Peace Paintings" exhibit were on display at Murray's Cherry Street Gallery. It is a collection of 265 works, one for each nation, which will be assembled in Beso's "Wall of Peace." This wall is actually 1,000 feet of canvas, which will be unveiled at an international art festival in the year 2000.
In each painting, Beso leaves an area untouched, incomplete for children to add their own touch as a symbol of their commitment to Beso's vision.
Beso paints human figures, faces, tears and staircases that drift into shapes. He uses bright, garish colors. And there is always a theme, a symbolic meaning in his work of good and evil, desolation and hope.
"I use eyes a lot," Beso has said. "The eyes in the paintings see things. Unity. Like when children are going to work together and then when they grow up they are not going to fight, just to be friends."
Beso's collection drips with the influence of surrealistic painter Salvador Dali. The images are connected, like a wave. They melt into an idea of sadness, laced with pain, but always maintaining that element of a child.
There are critics who wonder about Beso's talent. Is he really a master?
Beso has exploded onto the scene only three years after Romanian-born Alexandra Nechita was given the title "genius" at age 10. She now lives with her family in a Los Angeles mansion.
Both have experienced successful tours. Alexandra began in California, toured Europe with huge acclaim and returned. Beso began in London, where he too was warmly welcomed. His family stayed with the Georgian ambassador, and now he is in the United States. And both are managed by California art publisher Ben Valenty.
Is Beso a product of Valenty? Or is he truly a boy who has been blessed with a mind for color, shape and movement?
In a January 1998 interview, Valenty defended Beso as a true artist: "When I discovered Alexandra and publicity went worldwide, thousands of parents sent me their kids' works. Yet none measured up to Beso, and I went to see him.
"Lightning can strike twice," Valenty continued. "After Alexandra, the door is open. People believe a child's art is worthy of serious consideration, so Beso won't meet the earlier scepticism. I believe he is a genius."