J. Lewis Williams brings a lifetime of creative exploration to his paintings. Born in Newtown, Powys in 1948, his roots in Wales and the Welsh borders run deep, a landscape that has shaped both his eye and his sensibility.

After reading English at the University of York, Jay took an unconventional path, teaching art in Nigeria before spending nearly two decades as a working artist and writer in Wales. That period of dedicated creative life gave him something many artists lack: time. Time to develop a truly personal vision, free from commercial pressure.

Returning to York in 1991, he continued painting and writing alongside running independent record shops on the historic Micklegate, a street that speaks to the same love of culture and independent spirit that runs through his work. He now paints full-time from his studio and exhibition space in York.

With exhibition credits spanning Wales, Germany, and London, Lewis Williams' painting career spans more than six decades.