About

About David Thatcher Art

My name is David Thatcher. I am an artist, photographer, author and martial artist with a long connection to Japanese samurai culture. Oh, and one of the world's leading dealers in antique Japanese Armour. 

David Thatcher Art is the creative side of my work. This store was made for the things I create: art prints, books and clothing inspired by Japanese arms, armour, folklore, cinema, theatre and visual culture.

My interest in the samurai began long before this shop existed. As a martial artist it took me to Japan to study Japanese swordsmanship. As a historian it led me into the world of Japanese armour and its history. Over time, that knowledge became part of how I make images. It gave me a visual language built around armour, masks, warriors, ghosts, theatre, old stories and popular culture.

Before all of this, I worked as a graphic designer and digital artist in the video and console games industry. That background still shapes the work I make today. I care about atmosphere, lighting, composition and the feeling of an image. Some pieces are serious, some are playful, some are strange, but all of them are built with the same attention to detail.

This is not a traditional antiques store. It is a place for the artwork, publications and designs that have grown out of my wider practice. The prints are created from my own photography, digital art and studio work. The books explore the history and visual world of the samurai. The clothing allows some of those ideas to move into a more informal, wearable form.

For those who want to see more of the work behind the store, I share articles, images and new projects through Substack and Instagram.

David Thatcher Art is where my research, design background and imagination come together as things you can read, wear or hang on your wall.