His abstract, brightly colored landscapes are informed by his experiences as an African American/Native American and his interest in Jazz and the performing arts.
[2] Mayhew studied at the Art Students League of New York and with artist Edwin Dickinson.
[5][9] Mahew was a founding member of Spiral, a black painters' group in the 1960s New York, which included Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Charles White, Felrath Hines, Norman Lewis, Emma Amos, Reginald Gammon, and Hale Woodruff as members.
[2] He was introduced to interdisciplinary learning during his time teaching at Pratt which at the time offered different disciplines alongside art studio, and he was working alongside other instructors such as Eleanor Holmes Norton (teaching sociology), Jacob Lawrence, and William A.J.
In 2023, Venus Over Manhattan opened its new gallery at 39 Great Jones Street with "Richard Mayhew: Natural Order," displaying about twenty of his paintings and works on paper.
The exhibition featured significant contributions from backers of Mayhew's art and was complemented by a catalog.
Later that year, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art launched a comprehensive retrospective titled "Richard Mayhew: Inner Terrain," which highlighted his evolution as an artist.