Artist

 Evan Paul English is an interdisciplinary artist currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA from University of Arizona and later earned his MFA from Pratt Institute in 2016.  Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, his upbringing greatly impacted the work that he currently makes. Collecting objects that resonate with his past is a main component of his practice, from the streets, vintage stores and thrift stores. Such materials are used to create sculptures, fiber pieces and as inspiration for paintings, all to explore the relationships between gender, class, sexuality, and the pyschological effects of growing up queer in America.

His interest in identity and self-reclamation has gone on to inspire his work as a tattoo artist, working primarily with the queer community of Brooklyn.  Recent tattoo work involves using found floral textiles and reimagining them into tattoo designs. Through the act of tattooing, and thus physical transformation, the body becomes the home for conservative decorative motives, a symbol of reclamation of the body as well as histories of repression within nuclear family homes. Taking those same floral fabrics as inspiration for paintings, he uses a small viewfinder to find abstract compositions within the fabric, and enlarges them to various size paintings. The process of abstraction reveals a new experience with a familiar motif, making space for contemplation and revelation.