At just 14 years old, EvanTheArtist has already commissioned work for some of the largest sports stars and events, ranging from painting shoes for MLB All-Star events to creating custom kicks for featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano.
Evan started seriously pursuing art at just 9 years old amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While stuck at home with no school going on, he would ultimately discover a fervent passion of his when he customized his first pair of shoes.
“I was watching videos on YouTube and I came across Marko. He painted shoes,” Evan said. “I also used to watch this guy called ZHC, who does a lot of art as well. I got inspired by them to start, I customized my first pair of shoes for my best friend Alia. That’s how it started.”
Evan goes through a process when designing anything, whether it is shoes, a drawing, or anything else. Much of what he creates stems from his own sense of creativity which he generally bases on a theme.
“I ask the person for their favorite color or what design they want on the shoes,” Evan said. “Sometimes they tell me to do whatever I want, so I just go by my personal design that I like. Usually, they give me some theme and then I can use my own creativity to design it.”
One of the most distinctively impressive features of Evan is his age. At just 14, he has amassed over 13,000 followers on Instagram and is rapidly growing. An important aspect for him is distinguishing his online persona from the normal kid he strives to be at school.
“It’s such a blessing. Baseball is my favorite sport ever, so it is amazing to participate in events like the ones at All-Star weekend at such a young age,” Evan said. “At school I’m only Evan, but when I’m in my space, I’m EvanTheArtist. I keep them separate because at school I just want to be a normal human.”
Evan has also done work with huge brands such as MLB and Kids Foot Locker, amongst others. He hopes to one day collaborate with Nike, which is his favorite brand.
“I worked with Kids Footlocker for about two years, we did a bunch of collaborations around holidays such as Mother’s Day or Halloween,” Evan said. “It’s really nice to have done all these collaborations with MLB, ZHC, and Kids Foot Locker.”
Evan has a diverse feel for art. His style ranges from portraits to cartoon designs on shoes or canvases. He can use an airbrush but also loves freehanding his designs.
“I really love to do cartoons, especially on canvases,” Evan said. “I don’t just do shoes, I paint on paper, canvases, walls, murals, and more.”
Evan went to the 2024 MLB All-Star Game and got to paint at live conferences and meet some of baseball’s biggest stars. It was his third consecutive year attending the massive annual MLB event.
“Being able to do art at the All-Star Game was super fun, especially with all the other artists who had opportunities to do that,” Evan said. “I’m super honored and super blessed to have that chance.”
Evan has had the chance to meet some of baseball’s top stars, such as Seattle Mariners 2022 All-Star Julio Rodríguez. Evan is also a die-hard Mets fan and loves the chance to work with his favorite team.
“I feel shocked and really happy when the players respond to me,” Evan said. “I love the Mets and their stadium. It is a pleasure to be able to work with them and I cannot wait to see if they have more opportunities for me.”
Evan finds immense importance in the charitable aspect of what he does. From partnerships with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to Cerebral Palsy awareness events, he truly tries to make an impact in his community.
“My brother has cerebral palsy so I do a raffle where I customize a pair of shoes for someone who donates to the raffle,” Evan said. “We’ve been doing this for about four years now and have raised about $12,000 over that course of time.”
Evan believes that anyone, no matter their age, can get into the arts and craft space.
“I just want to inspire others,” Evan said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, you could start at four or 80 years old. If you follow your passion, you can take it to wherever you want to be.”
