ABOUT | Yana Evans

It started with a blank page I was too afraid to ruin...

I explore graphite, fine liners, and oil paint, inspired by Dürer, Caravaggio, classical, Egyptian, and Islamic architecture, calligraphy, and manga. Through travel, observation, and study, I create artworks that combine technical mastery, curiosity, layered meaning, and cultural insight.

Fotografía hiperrealista en blanco y negro de la artista Yana Evans, que captura un intenso primer plano de sus ojos y parte de su rostro. Su cabello claro enmarca el lado izquierdo, con pestañas, cejas e iris reflectantes finamente detallados que crean una mirada impactante y realista. La iluminación dramática enfatiza la textura y la profundidad, evocando una estética clásica de las bellas artes.

MY ARTISTIC JOURNEY

BACKSTAGE IN KUSADASI

A Painting in Transit

Oil painting standing near luggage suits in the street among palms and mountains.

My journey as an artist began with fear and restraint. When I was younger, paper felt too precious to risk and art materials were expensive. As a struggling student, I often hesitated to start, held back by perfectionism and the fear of failure. Over time, I learned to embrace the unknown and trust the creative process, focusing on creation rather than approval.

Early in my career, I worked as a tattoo artist. Tattooing demanded precision, care, and responsibility, as the human body became my canvas. My clients were my first true supporters, placing trust in both my skill and vision. Their confidence helped me grow as an artist and as a person, fostering patience, empathy, and courage.

Travel became a vital part of my practice. Many paintings were created on the road, in hotel rooms in various countries, with luggage often serving as an easel. In warm climates, oil paints dried quickly, making it easy to carry finished pieces. I experimented with unconventional materials, painting in my sketchbook using homemade wine, and sharpening pencils with a pizza knife while sketching in local cafés. These experiences shaped the techniques and travel-inspired sketches that define my work today.

Artist Yana Evans painting in her studio, captured from behind. She has short light-colored hair and wears a black hoodie featuring a large graphic of a stylized wolf with wings and a red-caped figure on the back. She stands at a large vertical canvas on an easel, actively applying brushstrokes to an early-stage artwork with dark abstract shapes and cloud-like forms. The dimly lit workspace includes art supplies, a wooden palette, and a paper lantern.

OLD STUDIO IN SAINT PETERSBURG

A Painting in Process

ROME

Sketching in the midnight

Drawing of VESTIBULE OF THE NEW HERMITAGE From the series Interiors of the Hermitage by Leonid Mikhailovich Reikhelgauz.

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Jean Antoine Houdon. Galleria Borghese, Rome

VESTIBULE OF THE NEW HERMITAGE

From the series Interiors of the Hermitage. Leonid Mikhailovich Reikhelgauz.

BACKGROUND & INFLUENCES

My artistic path was deeply shaped by Professor Reikhelgauz, a mentor and professor of architecture at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The Academy (1757), established the Russian academic tradition, focusing on anatomy, perspective, composition, and form. Under his guidance, I learned to approach art with discipline and precision.

I have long been fascinated by classical European masters such as Albrecht Dürer and Caravaggio, whose mastery of line, form, and contrast influenced my approach to drawing and graphic work.

Architecture has been another important influence. I am inspired by the harmony and proportion of classical architecture, sophistication of ancient Egypt, and the ordered beauty of Islamic architecture created during the Golden Age. Calligraphy is also central to my practice, particularly Arabic and Chinese scripts, where precision meets expressive form.

These influences have helped me build a foundation of technical skill and visual understanding that continues to guide my work today.

Inside of the home studio

Art studio still life featuring plaster casts for drawing practice: a large detailed eye and nose section of a classical face sculpture mounted on a board, a smaller David-style mouth and chin fragment, and a smooth white sphere on a pedestal. A bundle of paintbrushes with varied bristle types stands in the foreground, alongside art supplies including a tube of paint and a black box labeled "Hyper 4R." The scene is set against textured beige wallpaper with warm, dim lighting casting soft shadows. Watermark: EVANS.INK.

ART STYLE & PROCESS

THE LOVE

Graphite Portrait Drawing of Princess Diana by Yana Evans

Graphite portrait drawing of a princess Diana with short hair and elegant wearing dark off-shoulder dress by Yana Evans

My creative process reflects two distinct sides of my nature. When I work with graphite or fine liners, precision becomes everything. The discipline and restraint of the Russian academic drawing tradition, formed in the 18th-century Imperial Academy of Arts, shaped my understanding of form and line.

That technique resonates deeply with my own temperament, a need for control, order, and exactness. The graphite’s clean surface and responsiveness let me manage every tone, every edge. It’s a quiet dialogue between obsession and patience.

Oil painting reveals the other side of me – expressive, emotional, and free. I often paint sceneries, florals, and natural forms, where movement and looseness take over. The brush breaks control apart; it’s instinctive, alive. While graphite satisfies my analytical mind, oil painting releases me from it. The tension between those two materials defines much of my artistic voice – logic and emotion, stillness and release, form and flow.

FORGOTTEN RING

Graphite Portrait Drawing of Sir Anthony Hopkins

EMBER

Original Pencil Drawing of Cat and Pagoda by Yana Evans

Graphite drawing of a cat stepping forward on temple stairs with a traditional Chinese pagoda in the background by Yana Evans

BEHIND THE SCENES

An art studio scene featuring two easels with oil paintings in progress. The foreground easel holds a detailed portrait of a woman with dark skin, long black hair, and a red headscarf adorned with gold patterns, rendered in rich, realistic tones. The background easel displays a partially completed monochromatic sketch of a classical bust in yellow and brown hues. A white plaster bust sculpture resembling Venus sits on a windowsill beside art supplies, including a paint palette with mixed colors. The setting is indoors at night, with city lights visible through a large window. Watermark: EVANS.INK.

ALLA PRIMA

Two paintings in the alla prima technique are in progress.

An in-progress oil painting on a large canvas leaning against a wall in an art studio. The artwork depicts a cat standing on its hind legs, playfully reaching into a basket of lemons, with a branch of lemon leaves overhead, all rendered in a warm monochromatic yellow and brown palette. Visible brushstrokes and underpainting show the work in early stages. Scattered on the floor are art supplies including tubes of oil paint, a used paintbrush, a small cup, and a wooden palette with mixed yellow paint. The scene is set indoors with a modern wooden wall and tiled floor in the background. Watermark: EVANS.INK.

IMPRIMATURA

Painting started on the floor of the hotel room during my vacation.

VELOURSSAUCE

Portrait painting done with Russian sauce, 18c. art material

Close-up of a finished oil painting featuring an orange tabby kitten with blue eyes perched playfully on the edge of a woven basket overflowing with green apples. A branch with dark leaves and a single hanging apple extends above, set against a rich green background. The canvas is bordered by an intricate blue and brown decorative pattern, with visible tape along the edges indicating it is stretched and ready for framing. The artwork rests on a wooden floor in an indoor setting. Watermark: EVANS.INK.

OFF THE SUBFRAME

Taken back home in my luggage after travelling over 40,000 km with me.

Tabby and white cat warming its paw in front of a Japanese kerosene heater on a carpeted floor

I AM A CAT PERSON

What did you expect to see here haha?

THE MIND BEHIND THE ART

My art is shaped not only by what I create but by who I am. With a background in Oriental Studies, Cultural Studies, and Philosophy, I approach each piece with curiosity, attention to symbolism, and layered meaning. These studies taught me to see beneath the surface, to recognize context, contrast, and subtle patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Travel has been a profound teacher. I’ve visited over 45 countries, experiencing diverse societies, traditions, and ways of life. The generosity, wisdom, and perspectives of the people I’ve met along the way have shaped not only my artistic vision but also my character, helping me grow into a more open, thoughtful, and empathetic person. These interactions influence how I compose my work, guiding the subtle symbolism, societal references, and layered narratives embedded in each drawing and painting.

I don’t aim to change people, communities, or places. I observe and absorb, seeing the world as it is, and reflecting it in my art. My creations become conversations across time, regions, and perspectives, carrying layers of meaning that invite viewers to explore and reflect.

LIBRARY

In the process of moving my library