Matthew Smith: Passages of Color and Spirit

This month, we welcome artist Matthew Smith to our energy art gallery. His paintings invite you on a journey through color, spirit, and imagination. There’s a sense of movement in his work—as if you’re being drawn into tunnels of vibrant hues and textured layers, where the physical, emotional, and surreal begin to merge.

Passage

The concept of passage sits at the heart of Matthew’s work. It is both literal and symbolic; the viewer is led through architectural forms, layers of color, and visual pathways that suggest motion, transition, and transformation.

Creating this sense of movement is intentional. Matthew often uses architectural elements to shape depth and direction in the composition. His process involves building more than 40 layers of paint using acrylics, oils, gold leaf, and glazing techniques to create luminous, multidimensional surfaces. He then etches back into these layers, often carving all the way back down to the pulp of the paper. This gives the work an almost sculptural feeling.

The result is an image that feels rich with life and motion, inviting the viewer to step inside and be carried by its energy.

Inspiration from Nature and Place

Matthew’s childhood in Detroit gave him the first seeds for his artistic path. To fight the boredom of long winters indoors, he devoted himself to drawing and painting. 

Later, after moving to Hawaii at age 11, he developed a deep respect for the beauty and power of nature. Inspired by the mountains, the sea, and the vivid colors of flowers and landscapes, he continued to hone his passion and artistic skills through school. Eventually, he earned a degree in painting and sculpture from the University of Hawaii Art School.

Matthew shares:

“The colors I choose to use in my work are those I see in my everyday surroundings. I love the blues of the ocean and sky, the greens of leaves and mountains, the reds, pinks, yellows, purples, and oranges of the flowers around me. Colors that look antiqued, ancient earth tones and rusty colors interest me.”

Travels as Inspiration

Matthew’s art is also informed by his extensive travels across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. His experiences in Egypt have especially influenced his fascination with mythology, architecture, and the spiritual energy of place. Meditating inside the Great Pyramid or studying artifacts like King Tut’s golden mask, his imagination would run wild, and he knew he had to share this inspiration with people through his art.

Step Into Another World

A Matthew Smith painting is a space where architecture meets spirit, and color, energy, and form can carry you into new dimensions.

Explore the collection in our gallery here and experience the beautiful energy of his work for yourself.