From Boise, Idaho, Evan Paul English is an artist now based in Kingston, New York. His repertoire spans across a range of artistic mediums, from painting and installation art to ready-made sculpture, murals, and tattoos. Evan's multidisciplinary practice is inspired by his collection of vintage floral ephemera, which serves as the foundation of his exploration into the relationship between gender, class, and growing up queer in America.

Evan is fascinated by the role materials and objects play in shaping our individual self-understanding. Utilizing decorative motifs, he challenges stereotypes and asks deeper questions about gender narratives. Rather than viewing florals as a purely decorative art form, Evan focuses on them as the primary subject in his work, believing that they offer a way to describe social, cultural, and self-reflections.

Evan's interest in identity and self-reclamation is also evident in his work as a tattoo artist. He co-founded Yarrow Studio, a prominent art-focused tattoo studio and inclusive safe space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Evan's recent work involves the reimagining of traditional American vintage floral designs into unique and personal tattoos, giving new life to historically conservative motifs.

In his current body of work, Evan explores the idea of magnification, drawing inspiration from his vintage fabrics. By using a small viewfinder, he identifies compositions within the fabrics and then transforms them into abstract paintings of varying sizes. Through distortion, enlargement, and visual immersion, Evan creates a new experience with a familiar motif, inviting contemplation and revelation.

News:

Evan was recently an Artist Fellow at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, participated in the 2020 edition of SPRING/BREAK Art Show in New York City,  recently exhibited work at Fridman Gallery, had a solo exhibition with Chashama in November, 2021, and has a solo museum exhibition entitled 'SCRAP BOOK' at The Alice Austen House in Staten Island, on view until Feburary 2024.