Speculative Cosmologies

Craig Mathewson.
New Horizons. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
These Bright Mountains. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
Eternal Sky. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
The Green Earth Sings. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
All Things New. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
500 x 500 mm

Craig Mathewson.
These Flowers Will Never Fade. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm
Private Collection

Craig Mathewson.
The Bright Land. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
Encounter. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm

Craig Mathewson.
Wellspring. 2025.
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
400 x 400 mm
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Craig Mathewson.
Under the Stars of Heaven. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
500 x 500 mm

Craig Mathewson.
The Best of Lands. 2025
Synthetic polymer and Flashe on board.
500 x 500 mm
Speculative Cosmologies

My current work explores the intersection of sacred encounters, speculative cosmology, and contemporary UFO/UAP culture, positioning these phenomena as part of a broader human search for meaning and understanding. Through painting, I reinterpret historical experiences of the sacred through a contemporary lens, reflecting shifts in knowledge, belief, and worldview. I am particularly interested in liminal thresholds where the visible and invisible, material and immaterial, appear to converge, and in the questions that emerge from these encounters.
Influenced by my background in architecture, the paintings often function as spatial apertures that invite contemplation of realities beyond immediate perception. Medieval art remains an important reference point, particularly its use of symbolism, geometry, icons, and abstracted space to communicate unseen dimensions of experience. The interconnected relationship between spiritual and material realities found within medieval thought provides a useful framework for considering contemporary unexplained phenomena.
Using luminous, fluorescent, and interactive paints, I create ambiguous orb-like forms that suggest aerial presences emerging from interstellar, trans-dimensional, or human-engineered origins. Situated within contemporary art discourse, this body of work responds to a moment shaped by rapid technological change, artificial intelligence, and renewed interest in metaphysical questions, creating space for curiosity, wonder, and reflection on what it means to be human.