Get to know the Cevallos brothers: 40 years of hand-painted indicators
Born in Ecuador and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, the Cevallos brothers – Victor, Carlos and Miguel – started a sign shop in 1967 to help local Bogotá businesses promote their wares. "We grew up in a big family. Our father worked in a furniture factory and our mother stayed home to look after us all. There was a lot of creativity because we didn't have that much, ”says Carlos of her childhood. "We enjoyed listening to opera and taking pictures or drawings."
Under the direction of Victor the Elder, the characters the brothers created in their shop were playful, colorful, and full of hand-drawn mismatched typography, symbols, and simple illustrations. “At first we all worked together until Victor moved to America in 1969. Carlos left in 1974. It was my business for 30 years, ”explains Miguel. “I had two other employees who learned from me. Everything was painted by hand. I ended up having around 3,000 clients with many different businesses such as restaurants, law firms, and clothing stores. "
Carlos and Victor in Times Square
When Victor moved to New York, he continued to create family-style artwork and paint menus in restaurants and pizzerias in Times Square. "Lots of Colombians moved here and it was an exciting place for artists, ”says Carlos. “After a few years Victor found a job at an art gallery on 74th Street and Lexington. He set up a place in the basement to make a mark. When I came in 1974, everything was ready for cooperation, and it has always been that way. We all work together. "
When Carlos joined Victor, the two brothers expanded their business to Queens, where the local Colombian nightclubs and bars hired them to paint their walls and advertise their happy hours. Business began to boom, and in 1982 the brothers rented a ten-room suite in a Times Square building to work there and created backdrops for souvenir photos while regularly creating advertisements for food stalls around town.
Halloween poster for Mexican restaurant, Puebla Seafood
When their Times Square building was sold in 1999, the brothers returned to Queens, and in 2003 Miguel decided to move to New York and join them. After all three brothers got back together, they reunited and found regular gigs, painting murals in restaurants and making posters for food trucks and carts for various street vendors.