Minnie Evans (American, 1892-1987), Untitled (angel crowned by angels and eyes)

ink, tempera and crayon on paper, 1962, signed and dated at lower right, float mounted and framed under glass.
Sheet size 11 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.; Frame dimensions 22 x 19 in.
Minnie Evans was a self-taught African American artist renowned for her vivid, visionary drawings that blend religious symbolism, natural motifs, and dreamlike imagery. Born in Long Creek, North Carolina, and raised in Wilmington, Evans began creating art in 1935 after experiencing a spiritual vision that compelled her to draw. Her works, rendered in wax crayon, pencil, and later oil and collage, are characterized by symmetrical compositions featuring faces, eyes, flowers, and fantastical creatures. Evans drew inspiration from her deep Christian faith, ancestral stories, and the lush surroundings of Airlie Gardens, where she worked as a gatekeeper, a role that allowed her to sell her art directly to visitors.

Evans's significance in the realm of outsider art has been reinforced by recent major exhibitions. In May 2025, the MFA Boston presented The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans. On November 14, 2025, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta opened The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans, the first major retrospective of her work in three decades and featuring over 100 works. Later in 2026, this exhibition travels to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, bringing her visionary art full circle to the institution that hosted her groundbreaking solo exhibition in 1975. These exhibitions have cemented Evans's position as one of the most important visionary artists of the twentieth century, whose intricate, kaleidoscopic works reflect both her inner spiritual world and the landscapes of coastal North Carolina.
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Evans, Wilmington, North Carolina

Exhibited:
Wilmington, North Carolina, Cameron Art Museum, Five American Artists, May 19 - September 17, 2006

Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com

Light toning to sheet; some edge wear to sheet; not examined out of the frame.