ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On a quiet street near the heart of Albuquerque, framed by desert light and the shimmer of adobe walls, George Evans, who goes by Geo, is rebuilding his life, one image at a time.
He’s a painter, a photographer, a father, and a public school art teacher. But more than that, Geo is an artist learning to see the world and himself again.
“I’ve been making art since before I could speak,” he says, recalling his early days of macaroni collages and chalk pastels. “I think I was in first grade when I sold my first piece. I didn’t care about the money. I just remember thinking, ‘I’m good at something.’ That was enough.”
Raised in Albuquerque but shaped by time spent in Oregon, Delaware, Utah, and even Malaysia, Geo’s creativity is nomadic. And yet, his return to the New Mexico desert has grounded him. “It’s affordable here, and the art scene in Albuquerque and Santa Fe is thriving,” he says. “It’s also the perfect place for street photography, urban and wild at the same time.”
But this latest chapter of his creative life didn’t begin in a studio or gallery. It began in recovery.
After a difficult stint in Delaware and a dependence on alcohol that followed, Geo came home. Sobriety arrived not with fanfare but with quiet recalibration and more time with his family, more space to create, and the decision to pick up a camera.
He now chronicles his life through a lens: downtown reflections, sun-drenched alleyways, street life, strangers’ expressions captured in fleeting moments. “Painting was always about looking inside,” he says. “Photography is the opposite—it helps me look out at the world. It lets me be in crowded places without becoming overwhelmed. It gives me context.”
Geo’s neurodivergence, he is on the autism spectrum, has also played a pivotal role in his art. His early surrealist paintings, he explains, helped him decode his social experiences. “I would take tone, gesture, expression, things I didn’t always understand, and translate them into visuals. Painting helped me make sense of people.”
Now, through photography, he’s turning that perspective outward. With his son Diego by his side and his wife filming in the background, Geo documents their art adventures for their YouTube channel, Evans & Sunson Photography. Their family outings blend candid photography, storytelling, and what Geo calls “a growing curiosity for the world.”
“I’ve been showing my photos in galleries since May,” he says. “It’s all so new, but people have been really receptive.” His work can be found at Mothership Alumni in downtown Albuquerque, Willis West in Santa Fe, and the beloved Secret Gallery, one of the city’s more established art venues. This month, he and Diego will also show together at Rust is Gold, a cozy café-turned-gallery space that fosters local talent.
Despite the recent successes, Geo maintains a practical mindset. “Most of the income comes from portrait and commercial work—family photos, that kind of thing,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean it’s any less creative. I love it. It’s still about connecting with people.”
When he’s not behind the lens or prepping for a show, Geo is teaching elementary school art—a job that keeps his creativity alive and his perspective grounded. “I see how kids try to express things they don’t yet have the words for,” he says. “My own experience with art gives me a window into their world. And maybe that’s what art is, a way to understand each other.”
His message to other artists is simple, if a bit unexpected from someone who once preferred the solitude of studio walls: “Don’t just hide in your studio. Try something new. Go to an art show. Talk to people. You need that friction to move forward.”
He pauses, then laughs. “I usually avoid giving inspirational advice, but here I am doing it anyway. If you’re too comfortable, you’re not growing. That’s just the truth.”
And for now, under the desert sun, with a camera in one hand and his son’s hand in the other, Geo Evans is growing—frame by frame.
Follow Geo’s work:
🖼 Website: www.jezlens.com
📸 YouTube: Evans & Sunson Photography
📍Currently showing at:
- Mothership Alumni, Albuquerque
- Willis West, Santa Fe
- Secret Gallery, Albuquerque
- Rust is Gold Café, July 18–19
Special thanks to artist and friend Tori Lynn, who connected Geo with the LocalGood community.