Though her work was inspired by visions and dreams that began during childhood, Evans didn’t put pen to paper for her first ink drawings until 1935, when she was in her early forties. “Something told me to draw or die,” the artist recalled. Tracing her roots to an enslaved maternal ancestor transported to the US from Trinidad, Evans, who was employed as a domestic worker in Wilmington, North Carolina, received no formal artistic training. She used pigmented wax crayons to create colorful and complex linear patterns that evoke animals, plants, and spiritual symbols, reflecting the connections she perceived between the earthly and the divine.
Gallery label from Artist’s Choice: Grace Wales Bonner—Spirit Movers, November 18, 2023 – April 07, 2024
