After being stolen, mistakenly sold, and locked away in the dark for 16 years, Akiane Kramarik’s masterpiece “Prince of Peace,” the ethereal portrait of Jesus she painted at the age of 8, was recovered.
Akiane, a 28-year-old best-selling author, businesswoman, and philanthropist who is known for her seemingly otherworldly brushstrokes and collection of spiritual images, explained that she was inspired to paint “Prince of Peace” because of a recurring “visionary inspiration” that compelled her to depict a “profound role model for humanity.”. ”.
She shared her artwork on the Oprah Show when she was nine years old. Her works of art, all of which dwarfed her small frame, included an imaginative painting of Jesus called “Prince of Peace” that was made with her special brand of deliberate brushwork.
“It’s clear you have talent.
Oprah questioned Akiane, “Where does this come from?
The young prodigy answered confidently, “It comes from God. Akiane, age 10, was questioned about how she knows it’s God speaking to her during an interview. I can hear His voice,” she retorted. His voice is soothing and lovely. ” .
Strangely, Akiane’s family is not religious, and the idea of God was never broached in her upbringing in the small town of Idaho. “Not just art was being produced. Akiane’s mother, Forelli Kramarik, a Lithuanian atheist who grew up in a nonreligious family, claimed that a spiritual awakening occurred concurrently with the art. “Once she started discussing her dreams and visions, everything started to happen. The family’s beliefs were not shared by my husband, who was formerly a Catholic. We didn’t go to church, we didn’t talk about God, and we didn’t pray together. Then, out of nowhere, Akiane began to discuss God.”.
According to her mother, Akiane was homeschooled, did not have babysitters or television, and was not influenced by anyone outside the home. “We were always with the children, so we were aware that Akiane’s statements about God were not the product of an outside source. However, there were suddenly very intense discussions about God’s love and His role in our lives, and she would go into great detail about everything. Akiane explained that a vision she has had since she was a young child served as the inspiration for the portrait. When it became “too complex to describe through words, I painted,” she said, adding that she had originally intended to illustrate her visions through poetry and other writings. I always talk and think about Jesus, she continued. I spent a very long time looking for a [Jesus] model, and when I couldn’t find one, I once suggested to my family that we pray nonstop for this model so that God would send the right one. ”.
A very tall carpenter who resembled Jesus and who was also a carpenter appeared at the family’s door after they had prayed. When she first saw him, Akiane remembered that she almost passed out. I revealed that he was him to my mother. I want him to be my role model,” she says.
Akiane created the “Prince of Peace,” an iconic painting that is now priceless and well-known worldwide, based on the dream image and using the carpenter as a model. Prince of Peace was intended for an exhibition but was stolen en route due to its vivid and detailed techniques, which are unusual for such a young artist. A few years later, it was finally delivered back to Akiane, but on the way, it had become covered in sawdust, which she carefully vacuumed off. A clerical error resulted in the painting being put up for sale rather than exhibition, which complicated the family’s attempts to share Akiane’s spiritually inspired portrait with the world once more. After “Prince of Peace” was sold to a private collector and Akiane lost a protracted legal battle to get back the piece, which was kept in a dark stairwell, she concentrated on producing new works that won her praise from all over the world. .
Akiane, whose talents helped lift her family out of poverty, refused to give up hope and kept traveling to more than 30 countries while giving art advice to a variety of people and spreading her message of peace and spirituality. Additionally, she sold more than 100,000 prints to preserve the memory of the “Prince of Peace.”.
A miracle occurred in 2019. Prince of Peace was put up for sale and bought for $850,000 by an unnamed family who are said to be “one of the world’s most distinguished and esteemed families. The new family considers itself to be the stewards of the first. In order for this masterpiece to continue inspiring millions of people with its tale for years to come, they believe it is their duty to preserve it. ”.
Akiane carefully unwrapped her magnificent “Prince of Peace” after nearly two decades, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and then knelt down. In a recent interview with CBS, Akiane reflected on some of her most prized pieces and said, “It was amazing to me. It is wonderful to be able to see this clearly once more after all these years. It still seems strange to me, she continued. I won’t lie: Love is very strong. People who most require it will always receive it on time. At the Beloved Gallery in Marble Falls, Texas, there is a display called “Akiane: The Early Years,” which includes the well-known painting “Prince of Peace.”.
Even for those who do not share Akiane Kramarik’s faith, it is difficult not to be impressed by her extraordinary talent for producing such lifelike artwork. What is your favorite piece from her portfolio, if any?
THEN READ.
