Photo: cevallos_bros | Instagram
In Queens, New York, brothers Miguel and Carlos Cevallos made a living for years painting posters for neighborhood taco trucks, restaurants, and clubs, all through word of mouth. They worked simply from the restaurants' tables or basements. Until a customer made an Instagram account for them. Now, Manhatten bagel shops and San Francisco music stores, eateries in Belgium and bakeries in South Korea wait their turn for designs. Even NYCgo, the city's official guide for tourists and New Yorkers, asked the brothers to draw Queens' iconic giant metal globe known as the Unisphere. Born in Ecuador, raised in Colombia, the fact that the duo, both over 80 years-old, speak limited English is no barrier. They field 5-20 requests a week, painting from the Queens apartment they've shared for 20 years. "Destiny is like this. Sometimes one finds success later in life," Carlos told "AP News". It all skyrocketed when Aviram Cohen saw the Cevallos' posters and tracked them down to request a design for his wife's new yoga studio. With admiration for their work, Cohen, 42, created an Instagram account for them in 2018, which buoyed the brothers through the pandemic. "Most businesses would throw away their posters," Cohen told "AP News". "I felt strongly that different kinds of people and subcultures could enjoy their art." The account now has over 25K followers and has become an archive of their work.
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