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 just 8 years old, was revived as a masterpiece.
As a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist at the age of 28, Akiane, whose spiritual images are characterised by ethereal brushstrokes, has explained that she felt compelled to paint her masterpiece, “Prince of Peace,” because she had a reoccurring “visionary inspiration” to depict a “profound role model for humanity.”
An inspired image of Jesus, “Prince of Peace,” made by her particularly methodical strokes, was one among the works she displayed on the Oprah Show when she was nine years old.
You’ve got some serious talent. What is the source of this? Akiane was the one who was questioned by Oprah.
“God gave it to me,” the little genius said.
The 10-year-old Akiane was interviewed and asked how she knows it’s God talking to her. The reason I know is because I can hear His voice,” she said. His singing has a calming, soothing quality.
Oddly enough, Akiane’s family is not religious, and the idea of God was never broached during her formative years in their small town Idaho home.
Art wasn’t the only thing going on. Forelli Kramarik, Akiane’s mother, who grew up in an atheist home in Lithuania, remarked that her daughter’s spiritual awakening occurred at the same time as her artistic one. When she began to talk about her hopes and ambitions, things started to move forward. My spouse too did not adhere to the Catholic faith, having renounced the faith years before. We didn’t go to church together, pray together, or talk about God. Then, out of nowhere, Akiane began babbling about God.
According to her mother, Akiane was not impacted by anybody or anything outside the family since she was homeschooled, never had a babysitter, and never watched television. We knew that Akiane’s comments about God didn’t originate from anybody else because of how much time we spent with her. But all of a sudden, she would explain everything in great detail as we would have deep chats about God’s love and His presence in our lives.
Akiane said she had a vision that influenced the painting even when she was a little child. She originally planned to use poetry and other forms of literature to depict her visions, but ultimately decided that “the complexity of the subject matter was too much for words, so I painted instead.”
She said, “Jesus is constantly on my mind, and I frequently speak of Him.” I looked for a model of [Jesus] for so long, and when I couldn’t locate one, I proposed to my family that we pray constantly for God to send the proper one.
After the family prayed, a tall carpenter searching for employment came at their door, like Jesus in appearance. Upon first seeing him, Akiane felt like she was about to pass out. “I confirmed to my mum that it was really him. She reflected, “I want him to be my role model.”
Akiane painted the “Prince of Peace,” now a valuable masterpiece known across 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 methods were remarkable for such a young artist. A few years later, Akiane received it back; however, it had been coated in sawdust before transit and required meticulous cleaning.
Due to a bureaucratic mistake, the family’s plans to show Akiane’s spiritually-inspired image were derailed, despite their best intentions to share it with the world.
After losing a protracted legal struggle to recover “Prince of Peace,” which the collector had hidden away beneath a stairway, Akiane devoted himself to producing new works that were universally acclaimed.
Akiane, whose talents helped lift her family out of poverty, never gave up hope that she would one day reunite with her “Prince of Peace,” and in the meantime she visited over 30 countries, counselling people from all walks of life on the subject of art while spreading her message of peace and spirituality. She sold over a hundred thousand copies to keep “Prince of Peace” in people’s minds.
A miracle occurred in the year 2019.
It has been speculated that the unknown family that paid $850,000 for “Prince of Peace” is “one of the world’s most distinguished and esteemed families.”
The new family “considers itself to be the original’s stewards.” They consider it their sacred duty to preserve this treasure for future generations so that its message might reach even more people.
After over twenty years, Akiane delicately unwrapped her wonderful “Prince of Peace,” wiped her tears, and knelt down in front of him. In a recent interview with CBS, Akiane spoke on her most prized work, “It was amazing to me.” To finally bring things back into the open after all these years.
She went on, “I still can’t believe it. I won’t even pretend…Simply said, love is potent. It will reliably reach those who need it most, just on time.
On display at the Belóved Gallery in Marble Falls, Texas is “Akiane: The Early Years,” which includes the iconic “Prince of Peace” artwork.
It’s impossible not to see the tremendous skill of Akiane Kramarik, even if one does not share her Christian beliefs. Which of her works do you like the most, if any?
