After being stolen, wrongly sold, and kept up in the dark for 16 years, Akiane Kramarik’s “Prince of Peace,” an ethereal depiction of Jesus she painted when she was only 8 years old, was resurrected as a masterpiece.
Now 28 years old, Akiane is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has explained that she felt compelled by a recurring “visionary inspiration” to paint her masterpiece, “Prince of Peace,” depicting a “profound role model for humanity.”
An inspired image of Jesus, “Prince of Peace,” made by her particularly methodical strokes, was one of the works she displayed on the Oprah Show when she was nine years old.
“You’re obviously gifted. Where does this come from?” Oprah asked Akiane.
“It comes from God,” the young prodigy replied confidently.
Akiane, then 10 years old, was interviewed and asked how she knows it’s God talking to her. “Because I hear His voice,” she said. “His voice is quiet and beautiful.”
Oddly, Akiane grew up in a little town in Idaho with a family who doesn’t believe in God and who never brought the topic up.
“It wasn’t just art that was happening. Simultaneous with art was a spiritual awakening,” said Akiane’s mother, Forelli Kramarik, who grew up in an atheistic family from Lithuania. “It all began to happen when she started to share her dreams and visions. And my husband was a former Catholic and did not share in the family beliefs. We didn’t pray together, there was no discussion about God, and we didn’t go to church. Then all of a sudden, Akiane was starting to talk about God.”
Akiane, who was home schooled, had no babysitters or a television, was not influenced by anyone outside the home, her mom said. “We were with the kids all the time, and so these words from Akiane about God didn’t come from the outside–we knew that. But there suddenly were intense conversations about God’s love, His place [in our lives], and she would describe everything in detail.”
Akiane stated that the painting was based on a childhood dream of hers.
She first intended to use poetry and other forms of literature to depict her visions, but ultimately decided that “it was too complex to describe through words so I painted.”
She said, “I always think about Jesus and talk about Him. I was looking for a [Jesus] model for a long, 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.”
The family prayed, and an exceptionally tall craftsman resembling Jesus, who was also a carpenter, showed up at their door seeking employment. Upon first seeing him, Akiane felt like she was going to pass out. “I told my mother that that was him,” she reflected. “I want him to be my model,”
Akiane painted the “Prince of Peace,” now a valuable masterpiece known around the world, based on a vision she had of a carpenter.
“Prince of Peace” was on its way to an exhibition when it was stolen; the painting’s vibrant and precise techniques were remarkable for such a young artist.
A few years later, Akiane received it back, however the shipping process had covered it in sawdust, which she meticulously cleaned off.
Due to a clerical error, the family’s plans to show Akiane’s spiritually-inspired portrait were derailed, despite their best intentions to share it with the world.
Akiane sold “Prince of Peace” to a private collector, and after losing a protracted legal struggle to recover the painting—which was then being kept in a dark stairwell—he turned his attention to producing other works that would go on to receive widespread acclaim.
After raising her family out of poverty thanks to her talents, Akiane held onto the hope that she would one day be reunited with her “Prince of Peace.”
In the meantime, she traveled to more than 30 countries, where she gave art lessons to locals and preached peace and spirituality to various communities. She sold over a hundred thousand prints to keep “Prince of Peace” in people’s minds.
A miracle occurred in the year 2019.
It has been speculated that the unknown family who paid $850,000 for “Prince of Peace” is “one of the world’s most distinguished and esteemed families.”
The new family “views itself as the stewards for the original. They feel it is their mission to protect this masterpiece for generations to come, so it can touch millions of more lives with its story.”
Almost twenty years later, Akiane delicately unwrapped her wonderful “Prince of Peace,” wiped her eyes, and fell to her knees. Akiane, when asked about her most prized piece of work, recently replied, “It was amazing to me.” in an interview with CBS. “To be able to see this into the light again, after so many years.”
She continued, “It’s still surreal to me. I’m not gonna lie…Love is so powerful. It will always show up on time to people who need it most.”
“Akiane: The Early Years,” featuring the world-famous painting, “Prince of Peace” is on exhibit at the Belóved Gallery in Marble Falls, TX.
It’s impossible not to recognize the tremendous talent of Akiane Kramarik, even if one does not share her Christian faith. Which of her works do you like the most, if any?
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