His portraits are not about capturing an external likeness of a subject, but rather creating a portal to the inner journey of self-exploration. When creating his works, he relies principally on the intuitive processes of memory and imagination. In his twelve years of artistic practise, Hewett’s techniques have evolved from tightly wrought pencil drawings to the looser and layered surfaces of his present work. With his quick, almost brutal splashes of the palette knife, and through blending, building, edging, detailing and scraping off painterly layers, Hewett’s imagery is textured and richly hued, conveying both complexity and raw emotion, demanding intelligence and consideration from the viewer.
Biography
Born in 1979 in South Africa, Hewett grew up in the Natal Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal. Largely self-taught, he began with tightly rendered pencil drawings before developing his signature layered, palette-knife oil technique. He made his solo exhibition debut at Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, in April 2013, and has since shown with Maruani Mercier (Brussels/New York) and Thinkspace Projects (Los Angeles). He is currently represented by Unit London, and his work is held in institutional and foundation collections including the Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas. He lives and works in Grand Baie, Mauritius.
Selected Exhibitions
Genesis, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (2013, solo debut); Once Were Leaders, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (2017); The Garden, Unit London (2018); Nothing New Under the Sun, Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas (2019); New Paintings, Unit London (2019); H+, UTA Artist Space, Los Angeles (2021); Nexus, Unit London (2023).
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