Contemporary art full of Japanese traditions

What does it mean to be a work of art? David Stanley Hewett spent his life studying traditional Japanese art skills, dedicating much of his extensive career to the pursuit of this elusive quality.

Now based in the quiet mountainous Karuizawa, Hewett arrived in Japan in the late 1980s to study ceramics. He has since developed a primitive pottery style, which is only one aspect of his prolific work. He may Bushdo The series of large paintings, with its carefully smeared Kanazawa kansawa leaves engraved with dramatic, thrown paint, inspired a hard work of historical and traditional Japanese screening.

Hewett’s iconic gilded canvas acts as an evocative bridge between ancient and modernity in the various spaces they occupy: galleries around the world, luxury hotels, Shinto shrines, and even the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Looking for imperfections

As long as he can remember, creativity has always been an integral part of Hugway’s life and identity. During his youth, he developed a deep love for ceramics and after he participated in a Japanese pottery performance by a college student, he flourished with all his passion. “I think it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he recalled.

Hugwayt moved to Tokyo after graduating from the University of Massachusetts and received his Japanese History degree. He spent three and a half years in potter training, teaching English to support himself. This begins a lifelong investigation into the meticulous approach to Japanese craftsmanship and exquisite artistic sensitivity.

Reimagined lasting crafts

A chance encounter with the Japanese Byobu (Traditional folding screen) In the early 2000s, at the Mitsui Memorial Museum, it would change the development of Hugwitt’s career. The screens on display date from the 12th to 14th centuries, and they lack most of their original pigments, making their subjects difficult to distinguish. However, as Hervet recalls, their glowing golden leaf background is still intact.

“I don’t think it’s a broken old work of art,” he explained. Instead, he thinks it’s a contemporary abstract work. “I took it out of its context…think, wow, it’s a great opportunity to explore.” For Hewett, that means finding one of the few remaining traditional screen producers in the country. True to the craft of the Heian era, each screen is built very intensively: each screen is about six months. But for him, respecting the process is important.

Eventually, Hugway transitioned to working on canvas and wood. His works remain deeply connected to the original form; many of the works in the Bushido series are separated or divided in a way that is directly inspired by the Byobu screen. “In my abstract works, there are a lot of references to traditional themes,” he said. “I extract themes from the technical aspects, as well.”

As the series’ name suggests, Hewett from Bushdo, Moral codes about samurai attitudes, behaviors and lifestyles. When he first worked as an exchange student at Hokkaido University, he aroused his profound chords, which became even more resonant after his experience with the U.S. Marine Corps. This is the worldview he learned on a personal level: adversity can reveal the results of decades of training and preparation.

What he calls “moment of revelation” is usually Bushdo The dark painted paintings are boldly thrown to the glittering, hard-working golden leaf surface. As Hervet pointed out, there is no room for error. The calligraphy brush in his hand was like a sword as he waved the canvas with his decisive arms.

Pursuing authenticity

The close connection between artists and samurai culture is not only due to intellectual curiosity. He explained that as a former infantry Marine and lifelong creativity, Hewett was troubled by the duality of the warrior: in addition to being dedicated warriors, they also explained that they also played a great influence in cultural fields such as poetry, painting and tea rituals.

Hugwitt’s work resonated deeply with the audience. Akie Abe, the wife of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is included. In 2017, she chose the subtle and compelling “Majime” as a gift to the first lady of the United States. Another Hugwett’s work can be found on the ceiling of Kumanokotai Shrine, Shinto Supitionality Center in Karuizawa.

However, when asked about his greatest achievement as an artist, Hugwett said it would come again. “I think the achievements are interesting, but they are not goals. For me, the goal is creation.”

Of course, he likes to work in collaborative projects and commissions. Hugwitt’s paintings are the center stage of Japan’s finest hotels, which are permanently exhibited in Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel and Peninsula Hotel, Tokyo Ritz-Carlton Tokyo and Kyoto, and more. Last year, he held a large joint exhibition with the living national treasure Manji Inoue He didn’t come (White Porcelain) Porter, at the Onishi Gallery in New York City.

However, Hewett is more than just his good reputation as an ambassador of Japanese history and craftsmanship. “I think my work resonates so much because I’ve done the job,” he said. “I’m an apprentice of the potter. I went to learn how to make screens in a traditional way. I went to learn how to do Nihonga Japanese painting.”

After a 32-year journey in Japan (equal to more than half of him), Hewett is still eager to learn and experiment. Every time he splashes out the canvas, he can’t predict the exact result. In this exciting uncertainty, the beauty that prompted him to continue to create. He mused: “There is a chance. Throwing the paint is a hug and saying, ‘I have to do it anyway.’ “Even if there is a risk, I still have to do it because that’s what I do here.” ”

More information

David Stanley Hewett Studio and Gallery
3945 Nagakura, Nagano, Nagano 389-0111
Staff can guide you, but to ensure a personalized experience, you are advised to make a reservation.