About The Artist
David Stanley Hewett is one of the most well-known artists in Japan. He became interested in Japan as a young man through his study of karate and ceramics and later majored in Japanese history at the University of Massachusetts and Hokkaido University. Hewett first came to Japan in 1988 and has made it his home.
Hewett’s love for Japanese arts and culture motivated him to study the country’s ceramics, traditional painting, obi design and, most notably, the technique for making traditional screens. Hewett’s is best known for his Bushido Series of paintings which thematically draw on Japanese history and are full of energy and passion with gold leaf and bright colors and sweeping arcs of thrown paint.
In March of 2024 Hewett opened a major joint exhibition with Living National Treasure, Inoue Manji at the Onishi Gallery in New York to great acclaim.
In November 2017, Hewett’s painting, Majime, was selected as the gift from Akie Abe, the wife of Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, to the First Lady of the United States. In 2019, the painting was inducted into the National Archives Collection of the United States of America.
Hewett specializes in large works using traditional techniques and gold leaf which is painstakingly laid down one sheet at a time. Hewett’s paintings can be seen in the permanent collections of the Ritz Carlton Kyoto, The Peninsula Hotel, The Imperial Hotel, The Hotel Okura Tokyo, The Oakwood Premier Hotel, The United States Embassy Tokyo, and many other public and private collections around the world.
In 2008, Hewett designed the #1 selling obi in Japan for Takashimaya and was subsequently included in the 2008 Jobonkai of Kyoto, honoring that year’s top obi designs in Japan.
Hewett continues to be a sought-after designer for major brands around the world. Since 2018, Hewett has been designing wine glasses and decanters for the world’s most famous wine glass maker, RIEDEL. These glass artworks are sold across Japan at department stores and RIEDEL showrooms.
Hewett is passionate about promoting Japanese art and culture and sharing the country’s craftsmanship excellence with the world and regularly volunteers his time to promote Japanese crafts and art to the world.
Email: info@hewett.jp
Full Resume
Solo Exhibitions
Daimaru Kobe, gallery TOART, October 2023
Matsuzakaya Nagoya
Ginza Space TGC Gallery, Ginza Tokyo, September 2022
Hiroshima Mitsukoshi, Jun 2022
Niigata Isetan, May 2022
Takashimaya Gallery NEXT, Osaka , January 2022
Mitsukoshi Gallery, Sapporo, June 2021
Iwataya Riedel, Fukuoka, October 2021
Daiwa Gallery, Korinbou, Kanazawa, February 2020
ASJ Tokyo Cell Gallery, Marunouchi, Tokyo, November 2019
Daimaru Gallery, Fukuoka, October 2019
Takashimaya Gallery Nihonbashi, Tokyo, September 2019
Takashimaya Gallery NEXT, Osaka, Osaka, August 2019
White Space Chelsea Gallery, New York, May 2019
Palais de Seoul Gallery, Seoul, May 2018
Daimaru Gallery, Tokyo, April 2018
Tokyo American Club, Tokyo, April 2018
Daimaru Gallery, Kobe, March 2018
Mitsukoshi Gallery, Sapporo, February 2018
Takashimaya Osaka Gallery Next, Osaka, December 2017
Ginza Six Artglorieux Gallery, Tokyo, June 2017
Tokyo International Art Fair, Tokyo, May 2017
Mitsukoshi Gallery Niigata, Niigata, April 2017
Mitsukoshi Gallery Sapporo, Sapporo, March 2017
Maruei Gallery, Nagoya, February 2017
The Karuizawa Tourist Association Gallery, Karuizawa, September 2016
Agora Gallery, New York, September 2016
Daimaru Gallery, Fukuoka, April 2016
Mitsukoshi Gallery Sapporo, Sapporo, March 2016
Takashimaya Gallery Nihonbashi, Tokyo, July 2015
Mitsukoshi Gallery Sapporo, Sapporo, March 2014
JR Takashimaya Gallery Nagoya, Nagoya, January 2012
Takashimaya Gallery Shinjuku, Tokyo, October 2011
ANA Intercontinental Hotel, Tokyo, Painting Exhibition, Tokyo, June 2011
The Four Seasons Hotel, Marunouchi, Tokyo, July 2010–July 2011
Takashimaya Gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo, September 17–30, 2008
Roppongi Hills Club, Tokyo, April 1–June 28, 2008
Gallery Eizo, Tokyo, March 3–17, 2008
Mitsukoshi, Artifex Gallery, Tokyo, November 2007
The Ritz Carlton Residences, Tokyo, December 4–28, 2007
The Hewett Art Gallery, Tokyo, 2006–2009
Bunkamura Gallery, Shibuya, Tokyo, May 27–June 1, 2005
Gallery K, Tokyo, December 1–6, 2003
Gallery Eizo, Tokyo, March 24–April 4, 2003
Brenda Taylor Gallery, Boston, April 1–May 31, 1994
Blue, Installation to raise money for AIDS research, Tokyo, January 1994
Inokashira Park Installation Exhibition, Tokyo, January 1994
Inokashira Park Installation, Tokyo, 1993
Informuse Gallery, Tokyo, September 1–October 15, 1993
Yasuda Trust Bank Gallery, Tokyo, August 1–October 31, 1993
Libest Gallery So, Tokyo, June 1993
Libest Gallery So. Tokyo, July 1992
Group Exhibitions
Inoue Manji & David Stanly Hewett, Onishi Gallery, New York, March 2024
Tokyo International Art Fair, May 2017
Fabrik Gallery Hong Kong, Hong Kong, September 2017
Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Singapore, November 2016 & April 2017
Art House Kleinschmidt, Minato, Tokyo, November 2006
RI Japan Art Exhibition, Tokyo, May 2006
DaikanYama Art Fair, Tokyo, December 2006
Art Front Gallery, Tokyo, December 2005
DaikanYama Art Fair, Tokyo, December 2004
DaikanYama Art Fair, Tokyo, December 2003
Art Front Gallery, Tokyo, June 1994
Shinkura Gallery, Tokyo, January 1994
Libest Gallery So, Tokyo, August 1993
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 1991
Seiun Gallery, Tokyo, September 1991
Commissions
Sushi Sho New, York – Two Paintings, 2024
St. Regis Hotel, Osaka, 2022: Four Paintings for Lobby
Ritz Carlton, Kyoto, 2022: Five Meter Gold Leaf Painting for Lobby
Hyatt Place Tokyo Bay, Tokyo, 2019: Large Three-Panel Painting for Lobby
Oakwood Premier, Tokyo, 2015: 13 Large Paintings for Luxury Hotel Lobby
Peninsula Hotel, Tokyo, 2007: Presidential Suite
Hotel Okura Tokyo, Tokyo, 2005: Ceramic and Paintings
Mitsui Real Estate, Tokyo, 2004: Multiple Commissions
Sumitomo Real Estate, Tokyo, 2004: Multiple Commissions
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, 1992: 108 Paintings
Yokohama Mitsui-Bussan Building, Yokohama, 1992: Five Paintings
Corporate Collections
Prudential Securities Japan, Ltd.
Mizuho Bank
Mitsubishi Trading Company
Mitsui Bussan International
Manabe Midori Interior Design
Design Collaborations
Fufu – Glassware and Cutlery, 2023
Dekanta – Hewett Acclaim Whiskey Stage, 2023
Puma – Golden Clyde Project, 2023
Nikkyo Gakki – The Metallic Art Piano, 2022
Riedel, 2018–19: Hewett Series of Decanters and Glasses
Hakuichi, 2018: Glass Plates and Lacquer Chopsticks
Takashimaya, 2009: Men’s and Women’s Yukata
Takashimaya, 2008: Number One Selling Obi in Japan
JVC Victor Records, Tokyo, 1993: CD Cover for Singer Hirose Koumi
Honors
Painting “Majime” inducted into the National Archives of the United States of America
Inclusion for Obi Design into Kyoto’s Jubonkai
Media
TOKYO FM Radio Program, November 2019
NHK “Japanology Plus,” November 2018
FM Karuizawa Radio Program
Publications
Robb Report magazine, April 2023
Global Glam magazine, April 2023
Shoes Master, April 2023
Highlighting Japan, October 2022
INTOUCH magazine, Cover and Cover Article, March 2020
KURA magazine, February 2020
Global Edge No.60, Global EYE, January 2020
KURA magazine, August 2018
Pen magazine, June 2018
The ACCJ Journal, March 2018
Sumani Net Shinshu magazine, Ten-Page Feature, Autumn 2017
Time Out Tokyo, December 2016
Karuizawa Newspaper, Front Page Feature, April 2015
KURA magazine, Two-Page Feature, April 2015
Art News, October 2011
Tokyo Families Magazine, August 2011
J-Select Magazine, Cover Article, May 2010
Art in America, 2008
Metropolis magazine, March 2008
The Japan Times, Artist Review, 2005
Tokyo Newspaper, May 2005
The ACCJ Journal, May 2005
Metropolis magazine, May 2005
Art in New England, September 1994
Art in America, May 1994
The Japan Times, Coverage of Inokashira Project, January 1994
Tokyo Weekender, Review of Libest Gallery Show, June 1993
Representing Galleries
Onishi Gallery: New York
Gallery Fukazawa: Karuizawa