Akiane – A Child Prodigy Artist
A friend from California sent me a link to the website about Akiane, a 12 year old child prodigy from Idaho, USA. She is a painter and a poet, having started at the age of 4 and having reached by now an astonishing quality of ripeness. The mass media have discovered her and even a book about her has been published.
What seems to me to be even more interesting is the deep spirituality expressing through her. Having been born by an atheist mother and a “worldly-minded” father, she had at 4, a life-changing spiritual transformation, converting the whole family to Christianity. She has been teaching herself drawing and painting and is learning mostly from her own keen observation and study. The inspiration for her art and literature comes from her visions, dreams, observations of people, nature and God. Her favorite topics are people and spiritual subjects. The quotes from her given on the website are very interesting and are an expression of eternal wisdom:
“I teach and they run away. I listen and they come. My strength is my silence.”
“I have been blessed by God. And if I’m blessed, there is one reason and one reason only, and that is to help others.”
“The meaning of the shared-self is the meaning of wisdom and love.”
Though on the site they speak of “a Christian artist”, the creative expression of the soul is something universal and not limited to one or any religion. The expressions of eternal wisdom come from the undercurrent of existence, expressing through different forms and at different times. A soul like that of Akiane is not just “dropping from heaven”, but has a long story of experiences, on which she is – unconsciously – tapping. What seems to us like an early blooming flower is an expression of a long time of work and ripening over a series of lives. It is like the electricity, which is not mysteriously being created at the wall outlet, but there is a long generation process behind.
November 22nd, 2006 at 5:06 am
This person is trying to explain away what God can do through a person. Akiane’s mission is now, ordained of God. The fact she paints Mary and the baby Jesus, two phases of Jesus as a child, and one as a man, must certainly have a connection to Christanity.
As far as the past, only those of us who dwell on time want to connect to the past. God is infinite and His blessing pour out to His children in the present. Most of us are deaf to His calling. Akiane was not. God knows the heart. He knew he could give her this mission, just as He knew whom to choose for other missions, for instence Moses as an infent. Mary as the mother of Jesus, and so on.
Why try to explain away what only God knows? This girl is telling the story of creation through her visions put into paintings. Thay are masterpieces of art, from God through her. Children are more open to receive spiritual direction through the purity of their minds. As adults we get our minds cluttered from the darkness of the world, and close them to receive instruction from God.
I had a eight year old grandchild draw a vision she had of the new earth. It was the same as the accounts from Daniel and John on Patmos. I explain this in my book “Journey into the light”. We are all on a spiritual journey, though unaware of our direction most of the time. Akiane is aware, millions of light years from most of us. Helen Nanney
Mythological beliefs have eroded our cultures for thousands of years, into god’s many and forces of self destruction. The beauty, joy, peace, and light in her paintings are a breth of fresh air in a troubled world.
December 15th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
This is autism. What we’re seeing here in fact is the wonderful transformation of a single human being into what she believes is a tool of god. However, as she progresses, unless she can break free of the velvet elvis phase she will never really amount to much in the art world.
I personally believe that she will. As a society we have been sort of ignoring this kind of talent in boys – the cases of autism in boys have skyrocketed these past 10 years, up almost six hundred percent. What we’re seeing here is a little girl, exactly at the age of autistic onset (4 years old) locking onto something in no way different than the poor little boys who lock onto, lets say, the image of the land o’ lakes butter indian girl and cry when she has to go back to the fridge and away.
So where I’m going here with this is precise: the parents idenfitied this and then basically gave their entire all – into what the therapists call “floor time” – they transformed their lives.
All of our children require this. Her lesson to help others is much simpler than some complicated and invisible force in life in this way perhaps no different than Mother Teresa’s message: bring out the giftedness in your own children.
Her work is good, mind you – but remember, like animals – who can only focus on detail and can’t see the forest for the trees – her range and expression will need to undergo a radical transformation before we have a genius.
And for the record, frankly, seeing the work she has done on trees – I know she will do it. Because I have been to that place. I know what she is talking about personally. God wants so much, that privately we all ask if the work he wishes us to do will shatter us – but that is where we all need to be.
What a wonderful christmas story! I will watch her art and see if it grows. I like what I see so far but wouldn’t buy it yet. Will start collecting her if I see the next phase – not secular, but simply – deeper – like Aronovsky’s “the Fountain” type transformation. Good luck!
January 24th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Akiana is a Christian and she has an intimate relationship with God, and one cannot take away the profesion of faith which is enduring in her mission and in her gift. She is not glorifying allah, or Budda, or any other religion or deity. Jesus Is God, like it or not. Not because I say so, but because HE said so. Narrow is the road! Stop trying to distort this disciples calling; the tolerance and all- inclusive hogwash.
February 12th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
You guys crack me up! Diagnosing autism from art???
There have always been, and will always be, prodigies. Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, Athiest, Pagan, every religion, race and culture produces prodigies.
All I can say is, thank goodness god is a white guy!
February 24th, 2007 at 7:38 am
There is absolute proof God exists. The proof is when one prays long enough to be lifted out of the mental fog of earth and to hear God’s voice. This has happened to me several times. Once when He told me to write ‘Journey Into the Light’, book.
I have no doubts Akaine talked with God. Her dedication to glorify Him in her work is proof enough. What child would be so driven to follow where He leads unless she has the inspiration from her encounter with Him. Why would God with hold His divine nature from any one? A closed mind will always speculate, or try to explain away something so wonderful, exciting, and glorious as a personal relationship with our divine creator. No one can succede in explaining away what is solid eternal Truth.
I also paint, and there is a quality of spirituality in her paintings not seen in many paintings. Her horses are magnificent. Bears are hard to paint but hers are realistic. The trees are only part of the whole picture, not the masterpiece of focus.
If I could afford one of her pictures I would buy it just for the inspiration and thrill I get in her work and mission to bring people to God. By the way they sell for five million now, not to shabby huh.