Interview

May 19

Christopher Evans

Christopher spent most of his adult life in a commercial professional role, which he did to serve other people’s expectations. In 2017, after some bad experiences, he had a mental breakdown followed by an intense impulse to make art; something Christopher had been told as a child he wasn't good at.

In 2020, Christopher’s business failed during the lockdown, and he signed up for a Master’s in Mindfulness and Compassion. Christopher’s work with meditation and mindfulness transformed him and his art. He knew that, like life, art is a process of expression. He could use it to journal his emotions and become more intimate with his true essence.

Christopher’s art has become him, rather than an object. He shows his gratitude through what he creates; his work becoming a devotion to life.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“When I was a child, drawing was a joy. But I was told I wasn't any good at it, and this created a sense of loss in me. I dabbled with art throughout my life, as it was something I struggled to let go of. In 2017, I had a mental breakdown from events that were occurring in my life. It left me with a strong primordial impulse to make art, like my life depended on it.”

What inspires you?

“Nature inspires me. Kindness inspires me. Connection and sharing inspire me.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I follow a process that leads me to seek something within my essence. It’s my way of finding inner wisdom and connecting to my higher self. Drawing is very much at the core of the process, and I use my Aphantasia—I cannot visualize—and meditation as my guide. My work is automatic and is a devotion to life.”

“Every drawing is the aftermath of my energy and emotion, a kind of scar, similar to when you see a tree transformed by the elements and its environment.”

How would you describe your work?

“I’m not sure how to describe my art. Maybe my drawings are strange and weird manifestations of my imagination. I draw automatic lines as my energy, emotion, and devotion dictate. I can’t imagine color. My watercolor abstract contains calligraphy of poems, but are also seeking how color works as an emotion within me, often affected by my energy within the moment of creation. My work has to happen in the moment. I do not stop until it is completed.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I grew up with artists, and Pablo Picasso was a family favorite. Since 2017, artists have shown up like angels and synchronicities to show me a way to believe in myself. These include Paul Klee’s watercolors and his own color journey, and Agnes Martin for her devotion and expression that ‘art doesn’t need explaining, but feeling’. I also love Gerhard Richter’s drawings, and the pure freedom of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Lastly, Frida Kahlo’s art that journalizes her life resonates with my practice.”

What is your creative process like?

“I always work in the moment. It begins with an inner impulse followed by the settling of thoughts, making space for whatever energy to be there, free from ego. The meditation guides me and I allow my body to draw. But then the thinking mind and ego interrupt the process, which tones the image. The real work is finding the insight.”