Biography

At times we live in an age where art get more provocative and takes more risks, pushing the boundaries of acceptability and taste. It is therefore reassuring when one comes across work by artists such as Stanley Lewis, whose work is timeless and simple in its beauty. Affection, friendship and a true sense of warmth shine from his simple pencil drawings; they act as a reminder that art can be found in the simplest of situations and in the everyday occurrences we sometimes take for granted.

Lewis’s drawing career began in an architect’s office, something which he himself describes as a disaster, but he still wished to draw and applied to the Newport School of Art instead. He attended between 1923 and 1926 before moving to the Royal College of Art from 1926 to 1930. It was there that he came under the wing of Sir William Rothenstein who according to Lewis was a huge support during his formative artistic years.

Once he gradated, Lewis returned to Wales for a teaching post at Newport College where he became the new painting master. He caused a stir by marrying one of his students Min Wright, but the delicious scandal soon abated as people realised that this was a true love match; a match which brought about a truly legendary partnershipin South Wales. He illustrated the newspaper articles that Min wrote as well as her subsequent book on Dylan Thomasin 1967– Caitlin Thomas being a close friend of the couple. The idyllic life they had crafted for themselves was tested during the Second World War when Lewis served in the army where his skills were in use to send portraits of men home to their families. His skills were soon discovered and after narrowly missing out on a posting to Singapore (the whole regiment was interred in a POW camp when they arrived as the city had already fallen) he found himself working on an army base near Retford where he was commissioned by the Fleet Air arm to commemorate the bombing of the Tirpitz. In 1946 when peace was declared, he became the Principle of Carmarthen School of Art where he stayed for 22 years until his retirement.

There are hidden gems throughout the art world which only certain people know of and Stanley Lewis’s work falls perfectly into this category. Despite producing unquestionably beautiful works of art he has not had the exposure that he perhaps deserves. However, his work has been shown at numerous Welsh Festivals as well as at the Gwent Art Society and the SWG. Moving into England the Bruton Gallery in Somerset showed his work in a three-man show along with Michael Ayrton and Enzo Plazzotta.