Akiane facts for kids

Akiane Kramarik (born July 9, 1994) is an American artist. She is known for her paintings and poetry. Akiane started drawing when she was just four years old. Her most famous painting is called Prince of Peace. She finished this painting when she was eight years old.

Akiane's Early Life and Inspiration

Akiane Kramarik was born on July 9, 1994, in Mount Morris, Illinois. Her mother was from Lithuania, and her father was American. Akiane has said that she saw visions of Jesus Christ's face.

She first went to a parochial school (a school run by a church). Later, she was homeschooled. Akiane shared that religious art in the school influenced her. She felt she saw things in a deeper way than most people.

Akiane's Art Journey

Akiane is a self-taught artist. She says that when she was four, Jesus spoke to her. He encouraged her to draw and paint her visions. She started drawing at age four and began painting at six. By age seven, she was also writing poetry.

When Akiane was eight years old, she painted Jesus. Her first self-portrait was sold for US$10,000.

What Akiane Paints

Akiane's paintings often tell a story or have a spiritual meaning. She often paints likenesses of Jesus, children, and animals. She also paints self-portraits. Sometimes, she gets ideas from magazine pictures.

However, Akiane says her main inspiration comes from her visions of Heaven. By the time she was 12, she had finished sixty large paintings. Some of her artworks have been bought by the US Embassy in Singapore.

Akiane on TV

Akiane has appeared on several TV shows. When she was 10, she was on The Oprah Winfrey Show. At age 12, she appeared on CNN. She was also on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2005. In 2012, she appeared on the talk show Katie.

Prince of Peace Painting

Akiane Kramarik has said that Prince of Peace is her "favorite portrait." It is one of her most memorable paintings. When she was eight, she was looking for the right person to help her paint an image from her dreams. A family friend brought a carpenter to her. The man's face looked very much like the face of Jesus that Akiane remembered.

She worked on the portrait for 40 hours to finish it. Soon after, the painting was sent to her agent for a show. But the agent stole it and sold it without permission. For 16 years, the original painting was kept in a bank vault. The owner would not show or sell it.

In December 2019, Akiane's family got Prince of Peace back. It was then sold to a private collector for $850,000.

See also

In Spanish: Akiane Kramarik para niños