Greetings, all,
The painting of Richard Mayhew is completed, and I am thrilled to show you the final result below:
Symbolic Representation of Richard Mayhew
Oil and paper on canvas
36” x 48”
2025
Artist Richard Mayhew
Richard Mayhew (b. 1924) is a distinguished American painter celebrated for his luminous, abstracted landscapes rooted in African American, Native American, and spiritual traditions. Now over 100 years old, Mayhew's artistic career spans more than seven decades and reflects a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, social activism, and a deep reverence for the natural world. His experience as both an artist and educator has left a lasting imprint on American visual culture.
Mayhew is best known for his atmospheric, non-representational landscapes, which he refers to as "mindscapes." These works, characterized by vibrant color fields and emotive forms, reject direct figuration in favor of spiritual and ancestral resonance. He was a founding member of Spiral, a collective of Black artists organized in 1963 by Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, and others to explore the relationship between art and the Civil Rights Movement. Although his work is apolitical mainly in subject, Mayhew made meaningful contributions to the collective's cultural mission through his advocacy and participation.
In addition to his achievements as a painter, Mayhew had a long and influential teaching career. He taught at several institutions, including the Art Students League of New York, Pennsylvania State University, Hunter College (CUNY), and SUNY Stony Brook. His commitment to arts education helped cultivate generations of young artists, particularly during times when few Black professors held positions in higher education.
Mayhew's ancestry has a profound influence on his work. He is of African American and Shinnecock-Lenape Native American descent. These cultural roots are central to his identity and artistic philosophy, informing the spiritual depth and connection to the land that characterize his paintings.
Keywords:
Richard Mayhew, painter, abstract landscapes, mindscapes, Spiral, civil rights, African American, Native American, Shinnecock, Lenape, art educator, Pennsylvania State, Hunter College, Art Students League, Stony Brook, cultural heritage, spiritual art, Black artist, color theory, teaching, legacy, 20th-century art, 21st-century art, American artist, identity, landscape painting, visual arts, mentorship, ancestry, expressionism.