When heaven’s brushstrokes met near-death science
I’ve admired Akiane Kramarik’s artwork for some time, so I was delighted to come across this thoughtful interview with John Burke:
A Conversation with Akiane Kramarik and John Burke (2024)
The eerie link between her Jesus portrait and ‘Heaven Is for Real’
John Burke, a pastor and author, ties Akiane’s story to his research on NDEs, referencing the book and movie Heaven Is for Real. In the story, four-year-old Colton Burpo, who had an NDE, describes meeting Jesus. After he recovers his father, Todd, shows him countless images of Jesus, but Colton repeatedly says, “No, that’s not Him.” One day, Todd sees a news report about Akiane’s Prince of Peace, shows it to Colton, and Colton immediately says, “That’s Him.”
I remember watching that scene in Heaven Is for Real and getting chills—my hair stood on end! The idea that two children—separated by continents, one through art and the other through an NDE—described the same divine face is staggering. It gave me chills. Seeing that unexpected connection between Akiane’s vision and another child’s NDE was powerful. It’s a testament to the profound interplay between spirituality, creativity, and shared human experience.
Her painting Prince of Peace, which she created at the age of 8, has always captivated me. I first learned more about its remarkable story in the short video Painting the Impossible. What I didn’t know until then was that this iconic painting was stolen—twice—and was missing for 16 years. Her family even had to go through the courts to reclaim it. During that long absence, Akiane painted a second portrait of Jesus, which is equally striking (view the artwork Prince of Peace and the artwork Jesus).
How a little girl’s heavenly encounters brought her family to faith
This new interview is especially moving because Akiane shares more about her early life experiences—moments that deeply shaped her art and spiritual mission. At just four years old, she began having vivid visions of Heaven, despite never having a near-death experience. Her descriptions of what she saw align closely with accounts from people who have had near-death experiences, which John Burke, the author of Imagine Heaven, has studied extensively.
At five and a half, she had a profound out-of-body experience where she felt her soul lift and journeyed through different realms—past, present, and future—including Heaven itself during this six-hour period when she was physically missing from her family. When she returned, she calmly declared her life’s mission: to share a message of unconditional love, unwavering truth, and eternal life. Her words were so powerful that they moved her entire family toward faith.
From Visions to Canvas: The Unbelievable Story Behind Prince of Peace
Another story that stood out to me was how the full face of Jesus came to her in pieces—like a puzzle—over time, finally coming together when she was around seven and a half. That vision became Prince of Peace, a portrait that would later receive unexpected public confirmation.
Here is the story in her own words. (~23:47)
So when I was finally 7 years old, the whole entirety of the portrait came to me. And I told my parents, I need to paint this face at all costs because I knew it was going to be important. I don’t know why. I just I felt I had to. It was my duty. It was my mission.
Did you know this was the face of Jesus?
No. At this time, I still didn’t know what even the word God or Jesus truly was. I just knew this um just this immense feeling. And I told my parents, I need to paint this face. I went to so many stores, so many malls, and I just went to bus stops just to find a model to somewhat accurately to represent this face that I was seeing. But I couldn’t find anybody. So one day I sat down and I literally lifted my hands up and I’m like, if you really want me to paint this face, bring him to the front door. You know, I was like, ah, as a seven and a half, eight-year-old, like just bring him, bring him tomorrow. Literally the next day, I heard a knock on the door. And here comes this almost this 7 foot tall carpenter. And he looks o, you know, a literal carpenter. I open the door and he looks down and he says, “I believe uh someone is looking for a model.” I am here to um to be a model. The artist would be an 8-year-old girl. So, I went ahead and did a lot of uh convincing and showed him my studio. And after lots of talks and sketches, he agreed to be my model. And I was able to accurately and completely depict that face that came together in its entirety.
This conversation serves as both an artistic retrospective and a spiritual testimony. Akiane’s journey from a four-year-old with visions to an internationally recognized artist spreading messages of love and hope is genuinely inspiring. Her story challenges us to remain open to the mysterious ways that divine inspiration can manifest in our world—sometimes through the most unexpected messengers.
For anyone interested in the intersection of art, spirituality, and extraordinary human experiences, whether you’re a longtime admirer of Akiane’s work or new to her story, this dialogue will leave you pondering the thin veil between heaven and earth.
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