Evanora Unlimited - The Line Between Art and Insanity

Masterfully created rock, old anime samples, and witty bars paired with suffice to say- interesting art. With every notch Evanora Unlimited adds to their belt, they prove time and time again their creative genius. There is something almost surreal hearing one of their tracks, or looking at their art, as it feels like they move up a spot on the psychiatric care priority list whenever they release something new. His more well-known rock project "Evanora Unlimited" is remotely tame compared to his other side. Some things to expect from his rap alter-ego "Marjorie W.C. Sinclair" are absurdly funny one-liners and album covers containing guttural images of anime girls with organs spilling out of their bodies. Their art is often abrasive, disturbing, and unappealing. At least that's what I thought.

Orion looking Handsome next to a tree

Orion Ohana was born in Oakland, California. Their parents were DJs/producers, even throwing Orion a rave when they were only about 7 months old, then at six years old, he started producing tracks. Even at a young age then it seemed like he was destined for a different lifestyle than most. Fast foward to 2020, they released their first album Lustful Expanse, at the same time under their rapper moniker, “Marjorie W.C. Sinclair”, joined forces with "Reptilian Club Boyz" for a short time before they disbanded. Orion then found their way out to Berlin, “the center of electronic music” where they have been since.

When you think about their life and career thus far, it begs the question…. Why? Whether it be stabbing themselves with a knife on stage repeatedly, bleeding all over the place, drawing glorified hentai for their album covers, or dawning fake breasts for a whole tour, what's the point? Why make people think you are psychotic?  Maybe he is....... I don't know the guy.

Because they can. 

Art has come a long way since the Renaissance era, and Orion is not the first person to create shocking works. When compared to other artists, The things he does seem extremely tame. (warning for squeamish readers) For example, Stuart Brisley's "And For Today... Nothing" (1972). Said artist went to a former LDS church, trashed the bathroom, filled a tub with rotten meat and maggots, then proceeded to lay in the tub for two weeks, inviting people to come in and view his art. Do I fully understand what he was trying to say by doing that? Not really. Was it hard? Definitely, but you would never catch me going to see that art exhibit.

Orion thinks in similar ways to Stuart Brisley might have, providing the viewer with an experience that they will never forget. One of the things I admire most about Orion is the lack of care presented for others' opinions. This mindset sets them free to express themselves, seemingly elevating them to a whole new level of individuality.

I believe clothing to be one of the most profound ways to express yourself, and you can tell that Orion's style is a huge part of the way they express themself. Garbed head to toe in gender-fluid clothing, and caked in blood regularly on their Instagram. A lot of what they wear was hand made by themselves, such as their “Ghillie Pants” They describe the item on their website as

the “first piece of clothing I ever made, completely hand-sewn with mint floss from scraps of my favorite childhood t-shirts” 

Or their “4 way reversible leather satchel” which oozes with personality, embellished with hanging threads, raw edges, and a whole lot of character. If I saw someone with this bag in public, I would give em' a round of applause, you can almost see the story etched into the very fibers of the satchel.

The clothing featured looks like it could have come from a dystopian future, not too far off from classic pieces of media like Mad Max, or Trigun. Such as their “Mesh Kenny Crop Top” which comes equipped with gigantic hardware, holes, and pieces of thread tied in between the holes sporting cute charms little on the ends.

Modeled by Jack Laforce

Evanora Unlimited has shown us time and time again that they can do whatever they put their mind to, tackling art, clothing, music, and many other mediums. Their artwork has strong elements of shock, and will undoubtedly leave a strong impression on you. I might not ever lay in a putrid bath, or publish artwork of anime girls that would belong at the darkest catacombs of Rule 34 (don't look that up). But I very much appreciate what Orion, and many other artists do for the culture. Every single time they put a piece out, no matter the medium, it oozes passion and love, which is something that I can only hope to emulate in my works in the future.