Akiane Kramarik’s masterpiece “Prince of Peace,” the ethereal image she painted of Jesus at only 8, was resurrected from obscurity 16 years after it was stolen, mistakenly sold and locked up in darkness.
Now a 28-year-old bestselling author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akiane, the curator of spiritual images distinguished by her seemingly celestial brushstrokes, revealed that when creating her masterpiece, “Prince of Peace,” she felt compelled by a recurring “visionary inspiration” to craft the image of a “profound role model for humanity.”
At the age of nine, she made an appearance on the Oprah Show, showcasing her art that overshadowed her petite frame. Among her creations was an inspired portrait of Jesus titled “Prince of Peace,” formed by her uniquely intentional strokes.
“You’re obviously gifted. Where does this come from?” Oprah inquired of Akiane.
“It comes from God,” confidently replied the young prodigy.
In an interview when she was ten years old, Akiane was asked how she knows it’s God speaking to her. She responded, “Because I can hear His voice. His voice is quiet and beautiful.”
Interestingly, Akiane’s family did not hold religious beliefs, and the concept of God was never a topic of discussion in their modest home in Idaho where she was raised.
“It wasn’t just art that was happening. Simultaneous with art was a spiritual awakening,” shared Akiane’s mother, Forelli Kramarik, who was raised in an atheistic family in Lithuania. “It all began to happen when she started to share her dreams and visions. My husband, a former Catholic, did not share our family beliefs. We didn’t pray together, there was no discussion about God, and we didn’t attend church. Then suddenly, Akiane started talking about God.”
Akiane, who received homeschooling and had no exposure to babysitters or television, was not influenced by external sources, her mother emphasized. “We were with the kids all the time, so these words about God from Akiane didn’t come from the outside – we knew that. But intense conversations about God’s love, His role in our lives, and detailed descriptions started to emerge.”
Akiane clarified that the portrait was inspired by a vision she had since preschool. She expressed that she initially conveyed her visions through poetry and writings but found it too “complex to describe through words, so I painted.”
She shared, “I always think about Jesus and talk about Him. I was looking for a [Jesus] model for a long time, and when I couldn’t find anyone, one day I suggested to my family to pray all day for this model so God would send the right one.”
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The family prayed and a very tall carpenter–like Jesus, who was also a carpenter–appeared at the family’s door, looking for work. Akiane recalled that she nearly fainted when she saw him. “I told my mother that that was him. I want him to be my model,” she recalls.
