Evan Bishop

@evanbishopart

Growing up in the Bronx during the ‘80s inspired him to embrace the visual element of the Hip Hop culture: writing aka graffology aka heirograff. The thrill of sneaking into train yards to write his tag in as many places as possible far outweighed the dangers of third rails, transit cops and rival writers.

He incorporated these skills in murals he has painted in homes, businesses, schools and communities in New York City and Westchester County. Evan also used these techniques in my body art designs and digital art.

Evan is motivated by the deep desire to tell his story through his art. His narrative also includes the journey as a spiritual being on this planet. Evan’s mission is to explore ways to depict aspects of his growth beyond the physical body. Another motivation comes from the satisfaction of delivering a completed project and experiencing a pleased client seeing their product for the first time. Acquiring commissions from clients helps to pay the bills and expands his portfolio, but the challenges also drive him beyond all comfort zones. 

Evan’s thought process starts with envisioning then determining the intent of the art. The next phase of my process is to consider the audience he is creating the art for. After that comes the composition of the overall design of the art to ensure balance and an appealing visual flow. Color is a critical component in a strong design but does not supersede the other elements that make up his creative process.

Featured Work:

Our Brother Kalief (2017) | Acrylic and spray paint on canvas | $13,000

This is a collaboration between Bronx-born artists Evan Bishop and Lance Johnson. Both artists were outraged by the circumstances around the imprisonment and eventual suicide of Bronx native Kalief Browder. They alchemized their collective frustration and created this painting entitled, “Our Brother Kalief”.

In the painting, Lance laced the background with vibrant colors, symbolically transformative butterflies, and words of power in his customary layered style. Evan added the lyrics from the Hip Hop group, Dead Prez that speak to the criminalization of Black men and the prison industrial complex. Evan chose to remix the imagery of blinded Lady Justice holding her balance scales that represent weighing facts and evidence to decide a verdict. He, in turn, uses the likeness of Kalief whose body is adorned with Tupac-like tats while pulling the American flag from off his eyes and dropping the skulls of injustice.

Evan continues to use his artistry to honor the lives and legacy of Black folks that have lost their lives through the injustice and murderous systems in America. This includes painting portraits of Amadou Diallo, Trayvon Martin and Kalief to name a few.