Meet Vita Hewitt | Photographer, Film Maker & Conceptual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vita Hewitt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vita, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I picked up a camera at the age of 15 and knew from that moment onward that my life would always be a creative one. I hold a MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in New Genres. Owning my own business as a working artist and photographer made the most sense for me. It allows me the freedom to move between mediums as well as the ability to offer clients a better experience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art ranges from soft sculpture about climate change, political performance pieces and films. I believe in letting the concept lead. An example of this is during the pandemic a fellow artist (Lauren Jade Szabo) and I were very interested in making a film about water rights. We were in shut down and I was with my family all the time. I decided that it would become a collaboration. My daughter has written poems since she was seven-years-old and has performed these poems at large scale climate protests and onstage with Patti Smith. She wrote the poetry for the film and agreed to act in it. We found Lauren Godla, an ariel dancer. My partner (Bryan Hewitt) and I filmed it on location at the Smith River which is the last undammed river in California.

What sets my art apart is that I am willing to spot the potential in what is around me and transform it into a fully realized piece. If I am in the corporate world, which I was for several years, I will make art about that. If I feel under threat as an AAPI person, I will definitely make art about that (which I did). I do not see art as something that needs to be separate from life. Art is woven in and around all things, the extraordinary, the everyday and everything in between.

I got to where I am professionally by trying out different things until one felt right. It requires a lot of hard work to create a client base. In this business it is very important to keep good relationships with clients. It’s important to see each person for what and who they are and meet them where they are at. This is where trust and understanding is built. It’s not necessarily about seeing potential so much as seeing what or who is right in front of you. I find that building relationships in healthy increments leads to a much more fruitful and satisfying experience for all involved. As a freelance photographer it is important to understand the pratical things like cash flow. Sadly, a very good few months does not mean a trip to Malaysia to celebrate. That was a very hard lesson to learn. Once these things were learned, it’s been a truly satisfying experience to be a business owner.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I am actually based in the San Francisco Bay Area. We would start by getting fresh gluten-forward pastries at Tartine and take a walk to Delores Park to enjoy them. From there we would peek at some art spaces on Valencia street and we would have a little shop at Paxton’s Gate and a few other stores. For lunch I’d take them to the Legion of Honor. It’s got gorgeous art and gorgeous food. We would walk along Land’s End where if the season is right you can see humpback or gray whales breaching in the Pacific. For the first night I’d probably take in a show or concert.

I take everyone who visits to Chinatown. It would not be the tourist version of the place. It would be a little view of the place I grew up. I take the hunt for the perfect dumpling very seriously. Other than that it would be a week of taking in a new neighborhood in San Francisco or the East Bay each day or hiking in Point Reyes. Honestly, a week wouldn’t be nearly enough time for all the places the Bay Area has to offer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I will forever be grateful to my art mentor and teacher Sharon Grace who saw artistic potential in me and offered me a place at the San Francisco Art Institute. My partner Bryan has also been instrumental in supporting me and helping me to co-create films and performance art pieces. Other than that I am absolutely blessed to have an incredible loving and creative community around me.

Website: hewittvisuals.com

Instagram: vita_hewitt_art_and_wanderings

Image Credits
All images by Hewitt Visuals