Work in Progress

Devon Rodriguez talks to strangers: his subway sketches and person-on-the-street interviews have earned him millions of followers. His hyperrealistic work demonstrates the power of portraiture to help us see ourselves and each other. He’s a new-school influencer with old-school talent.

Now, the celebrated Bronx-born artist turns his perspective inward. As a child, Rodriguez escaped into art to cope with devastating abuse. It sustained him, energized him, and helped him stay out of trouble. This fascinating memoir is a twenty-first-century fable about a young man with a pencil, a phone, and a relentless drive to succeed.

Instead of following the conventional route to art world prestige, he saw opportunity online, experimenting with sharing his work in bite-sized TikTok videos that went viral, making him one of the top influencers of his generation. An entrepreneur who makes art accessible to everyday people, he’s succeeded without gallery representation or an MFA.