Born inside of a rickety shack on the edge of a cornfield in Illinois, Akiane Kramarik made her debut on July 9th, 1994. Her mother delivered her just as she had delivered her two older sons–at home, alone, with no help from a doctor or midwife. Living was rather rough as the family did not own much, and resources were scarce. It did not help matters when Akiane’s father fell sick on the day of her birth and nearly died. Because of Mr. Kramarik’s poor health, his wife began a small business with no money in their tiny living room, hoping to provide for her family. With Akiane on her back, Mrs. Kramarik trekked through knee-high snow, going door-to-door to sell Akiane’s favorite snack: edible algae. In just two years, the business escalated rapidly, allowing the family to move into a spacious home in Missouri where they resided for four years.
All of the Kramarik children enjoyed swimming in their pool, riding scooters, chasing their dog, and spending time among wildlife. During this season of life, Mr. Kramarik’s health improved. When his wife felt she wasn’t seeing her family enough, she quit her business, put the house up for sale, and moved everyone again. This choice would eventually serve as an important part in little Akiane’s development as an artist.
Although her parents used to be self-proclaimed atheists, Akiane began having visions of heaven and meeting God at four years of age, and ever since, she has been painting what she sees in her visions. Her parents knew she had no outside influence, especially that of media, so they knew there was no other way Akiane could be experiencing such ethereal dreams. It was at this age that Akiane began what would become her own gallery, sketching self-portraits and “expressing her complex visions through drawing, utilizing whatever medium was found on hand: candles, fruits, vegetables, charcoal, or pencils.”
By age five, she was giving more life and dimensions to her drawings. It was then that she temporarily went missing. No one, not even the police, could find her. She recalls this disappearance as the moment she “[split] into a myriad [of] fragments, hundreds upon hundreds of eyes that could see in all directions and participate in many imperative planetary and extra-planetary proceedings all at the same time.” After finally coming back to reality and into view, no one ever spoke of what happened to her.
This incident introduced color to Akiane’s artwork, adding hues of red, orange, yellow, and, eventually, blue to her pastel creations. Walls and floors were covered in a rainbow as Akiane tried to relay everything she was envisioning. Paper wasn’t enough. Because her mother was nearby, Akiane had someone to lean on when she got discouraged and frustrated. In fact, all the paper sketches were salvaged by Mrs. Kramarik in the early years, and she once told her daughter, “If you can see the mistakes you’ve made, you made them right.” Mrs. Kramarik refused to let Akiane quit, no matter how disheartened she ever became. Thanks to her mother’s constant reassurance, Akiane never quit pursuing art unlike all of those she initially looked up to, such as her siblings.
As her talents and skills have developed, Akiane has tackled more intricate forms of art with acrylic and oil-based paints. Over the course of time, her work has evolved with her age, becoming more lifelike and graphic, especially as she uses real models for inspiration and guidance. The prodigy has produced more mature pieces, including “Lilies of the Valley,” “Interdependence,” and “Turquoise Falls.” She paints many pictures of animals, too, like tigers, lions, horses, giraffes, and wolves.
Her most-recognized piece is her portrait of Jesus, which is titled “Prince of Peace” and was created with the help of a carpenter-man that just so happened to fit the description inside of Akiane’s spirit. Today, her paintings sell for up to a million dollars, and she continues to share her faith through her masterpieces.
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Featured Image by Shraga Kopstein
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