diff --git a/docs/effects/kuwahara.mdx b/docs/effects/kuwahara.mdx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41b7514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/effects/kuwahara.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+title: Kuwahara
+nav: 1
+---
+
+A painterly filter that smooths flat areas into brush-like strokes while keeping edges sharp. It is an anisotropic generalized Kuwahara filter: the sampling area follows the local edge direction.
+
+Based on [Maxime Heckel's article on painterly shaders](https://blog.maximeheckel.com/posts/on-crafting-painterly-shaders/).
+
+```jsx
+import { Kuwahara } from '@react-three/postprocessing'
+import { BlendFunction } from 'postprocessing'
+
+return (
+  <Kuwahara
+    radius={4} // filter radius in pixels
+    sectorCount={8} // number of sectors, 2 to 8
+    blendFunction={BlendFunction.NORMAL} // blend mode
+  />
+)
+```
+
+The filter takes about `radius * sectorCount * 3` texture samples per pixel, so large radii get expensive quickly. Lower `sectorCount` when raising `radius`.
+
+## Props
+
+| Name          | Type          | Default              | Description                                                   |
+| ------------- | ------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| radius        | Number        | 4                    | The filter radius in pixels.                                  |
+| sectorCount   | Number        | 8                    | The number of sectors, 2 to 8. Fewer is cheaper but blockier. |
+| blendFunction | BlendFunction | BlendFunction.NORMAL | The blend function of this effect.                            |
+| opacity       | Number        | 1                    | The opacity of this effect.                                   |
diff --git a/src/effects/Kuwahara.tsx b/src/effects/Kuwahara.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0ca89a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/effects/Kuwahara.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+import { BlendFunction, Effect, EffectAttribute } from 'postprocessing'
+import type { Ref } from 'react'
+import { Uniform } from 'three'
+import { createEffectComponent } from '../createEffectComponent'
+
+// Anisotropic generalized Kuwahara filter, based on Kyprianidis et al. and
+// https://blog.maximeheckel.com/posts/on-crafting-painterly-shaders/
+const KuwaharaShader = {
+  fragmentShader: /* glsl */ `
+    uniform float radius;
+    uniform int sectorCount;
+
+    float luma(const in vec2 uv) {
+      return dot(texture2D(inputBuffer, uv).rgb, vec3(0.299, 0.587, 0.114));
+    }
+
+    // Sobel-based structure tensor (Jxx, Jyy, Jxy), sampled wider for larger radii to smooth it
+    vec3 structureTensor(const in vec2 uv) {
+      vec2 d = texelSize * max(1.0, radius * 0.5);
+      float tl = luma(uv + vec2(-d.x, d.y));
+      float tc = luma(uv + vec2(0.0, d.y));
+      float tr = luma(uv + d);
+      float ml = luma(uv - vec2(d.x, 0.0));
+      float mr = luma(uv + vec2(d.x, 0.0));
+      float bl = luma(uv - d);
+      float bc = luma(uv - vec2(0.0, d.y));
+      float br = luma(uv + vec2(d.x, -d.y));
+      float gx = (tr + 2.0 * mr + br) - (tl + 2.0 * ml + bl);
+      float gy = (tl + 2.0 * tc + tr) - (bl + 2.0 * bc + br);
+      return vec3(gx * gx, gy * gy, gx * gy);
+    }
+
+    void mainImage(const in vec4 inputColor, const in vec2 uv, out vec4 outputColor) {
+      vec3 st = structureTensor(uv);
+      float diff = st.x - st.y;
+      float root = sqrt(diff * diff + 4.0 * st.z * st.z);
+      float anisotropy = root / (st.x + st.y + 1e-7);
+      float phi = 0.5 * atan(2.0 * st.z, diff + 1e-7);
+
+      // Ellipse squeezed across the edge and stretched along it
+      float c = cos(phi);
+      float s = sin(phi);
+      mat2 transform = mat2(c, s, -s, c) * mat2(1.0 / (1.0 + anisotropy), 0.0, 0.0, 1.0 + anisotropy);
+
+      int count = clamp(sectorCount, 2, 8);
+      float sectorAngle = 6.28318531 / float(count);
+      vec3 center = texture2D(inputBuffer, uv).rgb;
+      vec3 colorSum = vec3(0.0);
+      float weightSum = 0.0;
+
+      for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+        if (i >= count) break;
+
+        vec3 sum = center;
+        vec3 sumSq = center * center;
+        float n = 1.0;
+
+        for (float r = 1.0; r <= radius; r += 1.0) {
+          for (int k = 0; k < 3; k++) {
+            float a = (float(i) + (float(k) + 0.5) / 3.0) * sectorAngle;
+            vec2 offset = transform * (vec2(cos(a), sin(a)) * r) * texelSize;
+            vec3 color = texture2D(inputBuffer, uv + offset).rgb;
+            sum += color;
+            sumSq += color * color;
+            n += 1.0;
+          }
+        }
+
+        vec3 mean = sum / n;
+        vec3 variance = abs(sumSq / n - mean * mean);
+        // Sectors with low variance dominate, which keeps edges sharp
+        float weight = 1.0 / (1.0 + pow(255.0 * sqrt(variance.r + variance.g + variance.b), 4.0));
+        colorSum += mean * weight;
+        weightSum += weight;
+      }
+
+      outputColor = vec4(colorSum / weightSum, inputColor.a);
+    }
+  `,
+}
+
+export class KuwaharaEffect extends Effect {
+  constructor({ blendFunction = BlendFunction.NORMAL, radius = 4, sectorCount = 8 } = {}) {
+    super('KuwaharaEffect', KuwaharaShader.fragmentShader, {
+      blendFunction,
+      attributes: EffectAttribute.CONVOLUTION,
+      uniforms: new Map<string, Uniform<number>>([
+        ['radius', new Uniform(radius)],
+        ['sectorCount', new Uniform(sectorCount)],
+      ]),
+    })
+  }
+
+  /** Filter radius in pixels. Cost grows linearly with it. */
+  get radius(): number {
+    return this.uniforms.get('radius')!.value
+  }
+
+  set radius(value: number) {
+    this.uniforms.get('radius')!.value = value
+  }
+
+  /** Number of sectors, 2 to 8. Fewer is cheaper but blockier. */
+  get sectorCount(): number {
+    return this.uniforms.get('sectorCount')!.value
+  }
+
+  set sectorCount(value: number) {
+    this.uniforms.get('sectorCount')!.value = value
+  }
+}
+
+export type KuwaharaProps = {
+  blendFunction?: BlendFunction
+  opacity?: number
+  radius?: number
+  sectorCount?: number
+  ref?: Ref<KuwaharaEffect>
+}
+
+export const Kuwahara = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectComponent<typeof KuwaharaEffect, KuwaharaProps>(KuwaharaEffect)
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 17d072d..4c8bb4f 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export * from './effects/Glitch'
 export * from './effects/GodRays'
 export * from './effects/Grid'
 export * from './effects/HueSaturation'
+export * from './effects/Kuwahara'
 export * from './effects/LensDistortion'
 export * from './effects/LensFlare'
 export * from './effects/LUT'
diff --git a/src/tests/Kuwahara.test.tsx b/src/tests/Kuwahara.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20032f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/Kuwahara.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { EffectAttribute } from 'postprocessing'
+import * as React from 'react'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { EffectComposer } from '../EffectComposer'
+import { Kuwahara, KuwaharaEffect } from '../effects/Kuwahara'
+import { flush, root } from './test-utils'
+
+describe('Kuwahara', () => {
+  it('is a convolution effect, so it reads unprocessed neighbors', () => {
+    const effect = new KuwaharaEffect()
+    expect(effect.getAttributes() & EffectAttribute.CONVOLUTION).toBe(EffectAttribute.CONVOLUTION)
+    effect.dispose()
+  })
+
+  it('applies radius and sectorCount live, without reconstructing the effect', async () => {
+    const ref = React.createRef<KuwaharaEffect>()
+
+    const render = (radius: number, sectorCount: number) =>
+      root.render(
+        <EffectComposer>
+          <Kuwahara ref={ref} radius={radius} sectorCount={sectorCount} />
+        </EffectComposer>
+      )
+
+    await React.act(async () => render(2, 4))
+    await flush()
+    const first = ref.current
+    expect(first!.radius).toBe(2)
+    expect(first!.sectorCount).toBe(4)
+
+    await React.act(async () => render(6, 8))
+    await flush()
+
+    expect(ref.current).toBe(first)
+    expect(ref.current!.uniforms.get('radius')!.value).toBe(6)
+    expect(ref.current!.uniforms.get('sectorCount')!.value).toBe(8)
+
+    await React.act(async () => root.render(null))
+  })
+
+  it('resets radius to its default when the prop is removed', async () => {
+    const ref = React.createRef<KuwaharaEffect>()
+
+    await React.act(async () =>
+      root.render(
+        <EffectComposer>
+          <Kuwahara ref={ref} radius={10} />
+        </EffectComposer>
+      )
+    )
+    await flush()
+
+    await React.act(async () =>
+      root.render(
+        <EffectComposer>
+          <Kuwahara ref={ref} />
+        </EffectComposer>
+      )
+    )
+    await flush()
+
+    expect(ref.current!.radius).toBe(4)
+
+    await React.act(async () => root.render(null))
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/tests/effects.smoke.test.tsx b/src/tests/effects.smoke.test.tsx
index 9c2173e..a594c3c 100644
--- a/src/tests/effects.smoke.test.tsx
+++ b/src/tests/effects.smoke.test.tsx
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import { Glitch } from '../effects/Glitch'
 import { GodRays } from '../effects/GodRays'
 import { Grid } from '../effects/Grid'
 import { HueSaturation } from '../effects/HueSaturation'
+import { Kuwahara } from '../effects/Kuwahara'
 import { LensDistortion } from '../effects/LensDistortion'
 import { LensFlare } from '../effects/LensFlare'
 import { LUT } from '../effects/LUT'
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ const SMOKE_CASES: SmokeCase[] = [
   },
   { file: 'Grid.tsx', label: 'Grid', effect: (ref) => <Grid ref={ref} /> },
   { file: 'HueSaturation.tsx', label: 'HueSaturation', effect: (ref) => <HueSaturation ref={ref} /> },
+  { file: 'Kuwahara.tsx', label: 'Kuwahara', effect: (ref) => <Kuwahara ref={ref} /> },
   { file: 'LensDistortion.tsx', label: 'LensDistortion', effect: (ref) => <LensDistortion ref={ref} /> },
   { file: 'LensFlare.tsx', label: 'LensFlare', effect: (ref) => <LensFlare ref={ref} /> },
   { file: 'LUT.tsx', label: 'LUT', effect: (ref) => <LUT ref={ref} lut={lutTexture} /> },