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(ah-KEE-ah-nah) Born in 1994 in a small town in Illinois, Akiane Kramarik is the daughter of a Lithuanian stay-at-home mother and a Chicago born chef. Brought up with her brothers, Akiane's childhood was filled with lots of love, but was unsettled. Her family was forced to move many times which meant different schools and surroundings. Now home-schooled and living in Idaho, Akiane, since she was four years old, has demonstrated an extraordinary gift for art and poetry. Keenly intuitive, observant and deeply religious, Akiane insists that her gift is from God, and it is this powerful belief that inspires her. Mature beyond her years, 10 year old Akiane is so dedicated to her art that she often works three hours a day, six days a week Each painting is so complex, that it can take her over one hundred hours to complete a single painting. Working in acrylics or oil on large canvases, Akiane's inspiration comes from "visions, dreams, observations of people, nature and God". Akiane has even coined a term for her own unique style, "Akianism", which in her words is a "universal blend of realism and imaginism". When Akiane's abilities reached the media, it is not surprising that she became an overnight phenomenon. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago and was interviewed by Lou Dobbs on CNN in Washington. Her art was exhibited in a solo show at the Lyman/Timberstand Gallery in Sandpoint, Idaho, when she was only nine years old! Akiane's vision is to tour the world, so that she can show her art and read her poetry to inspire hope in everyone. Her passion and spirituality run so deep, in fact, that Akiane donates a portion of all sales of her work to charity. |