bio
Akio Evans
Fine Artist | Shoe Muralist | Creative Director | Filmmaker
Akio Evans is a Baltimore-born artist and visionary storyteller whose work fuses fine art, fashion, and cultural preservation. Renowned as a pioneer of shoe mural art, Akio transforms sneakers into timeless canvases wrapping legacy, history, and personal narrative around each pair. His wearable art has adorned the feet of legends like Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and Dr. Dre, and his collectible art apparel each piece signed and numbered has been acquired by creators including Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, David Simon, Courtney Kemp, Reinaldo Marcus Green, and other collectors have chosen to display his work as gallery pieces in their homes or feature them at red carpet events.
His creative journey spans from galleries to sets, with fashion designs featured on HBO’s We Own This City, Apple TV’s Swagger, Hulu’s Grown-ish, and Peacock’s Bel-Air. Akio’s signature approach has made him a trusted collaborator in both the entertainment and fashion industries.
Beyond the spotlight, Akio leads community-rooted workshops across the country from museums to juvenile detention centers—using wearable art as a tool for healing, legacy-building, and self-expression. As founder of Hearts and Heroes Studios, his mission is to inspire others to not just consume art, but to collect meaning and preserve story.
Through every canvas, boot, or stitched garment, Akio Evans invites you to wear the story and walk in purpose.
AKIO EVANS
World Renown Artist Shoe Murals Cultural Preservation
wjz/cbs segment
How Akio got his start Muralizing/Creating Display 1of1 Art for production companies and Entertainers
FOX BALTIMORE
Behind the shoe muralist and the creation of the Commemorative Memorabilia Collectors Art
timberland workshop collab
As if partnerships with Marvel, Converse, and HBO Max weren’t enough, Baltimore artist Akio Evans is now working with Timberland to bring an immersive design workshop to some of Baltimore’s teens.
shoe murals
Marty Bass checks in with local art shoe muralist Akio Evans