Caia Matheson is a Contemporary Oil Painter and currently lives and works in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Her work features layered colourful abstracts and figures that continually reference themes of antimony or contradiction such as light/dark, stillness/movement, the visible and invisible.
Matheson was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where she would delight in nature and the wild animals of Kruger National Park. Being raised by a Xhosa nanny and gardener from the Zulu tribe both living on the property, her youth was filled with tribal stories and cultural rituals.
At age 7 she emigrated with her family to Tokyo, Japan to attend an International School. The contrast of cultures as well as the rural versus city locations began her fascination with contradictions and paradoxes. Spending her formative years in Tokyo, she would still visit South Africa on a yearly basis.
On one such visit to Joubert Park in Johannesburg, her mother shared the story of racial segregation illustrated by the black and white painted benches in the park – an absurdity that would begin the emblematic nature of colour in the young artist’s mind.
On multiple journeys, Matheson visited various Asian countries, discovering unfamiliar and exotic places in Thailand, Singapore, the Seychelles, and around Japan – memories that she began to recall in shapes and lines for her artworks.
Returning to Johannesburg at the height of Apartheid, aged 14 she attended school taking part in the 1985 Free Nelson Mandela Rally at Witts University before emigrating to London at 16, where she attended Lansdowne college completing A levels in Arts and Languages.
Losing her mother at an early age due to illness, Matheson would be prompted to work for the Japan Travel Bureau, later transferring to All Nippon Airways and Fuji Bank, then as a Production Manager for Designer Originals and freelancing as Event Manager for Arts and Music Festivals and Events. Leaving work after a couple of years, she would travel around Holland and Spain and live in an isolated hippie community, before returning to London to focus on her journey towards becoming an artist.
After having worked in several creative industries including Fashion, Music, Set Design and Event Management, Matheson received a Distinction in 3D Art & Design at Barnet College in 1994. Whilst curating multimedia art exhibitions in London and creating stage sets for bands, she spent a few years developing her style in her studio in Hackney, East London.
Moving to Brighton in 2002 and setting up a studio, Matheson was awarded Brighton Artist of the Year by public vote at Art5 Gallery in 2004, where her sold-out solo show was held later that year.
Exhibiting widely in the UK as well as Internationally in Art Fairs (AAF London and Singapore, TOAF, LAPADA), Matheson was also shortlisted for the Brighton Festival Arts Prize (2006), and her solo exhibition was featured in the BBC spy drama BBC Spy Drama Page Eight with actor Bill Nighy (2011). Her painting “Forest Fire” was selected for Neil Gaiman’s book “A Calendar of Tales” (2013). She also painted Europe’s First Rainbow Pedestrian Crossing on Madeira Drive, Brighton (2014).
Recent exhibitions in London include FLUX Exhibition Marylebone (2024), Dark Materials Tell Stories at JM Gallery (2024), FLUX Exhibition Piccadilly (2023) FLUX Exhibition, Design District, Greenwich Peninsula, London (2021 and 2022) Turning Tides Festival Greenwich Peninsula, London (2019), FLUX Exhibition, National Army Museum, Chelsea, London (2019),Women in Art Exhibition, Gallery Elena Shchukina , Mayfair London (2018), Private Exhibition Stefano Ricci Flagship Store, Mayfair London (2017).
Caia Matheson has been a professional artist for over 25 years, actively exhibiting in the UK and worldwide. She is also engaged in various private commissions and mentoring Uni students at the MET College, London.
AWARDS
2021 | Luxembourg Art Prize Certificate of Artistic Merit | Luxembourg
2020 | Luxembourg Art Prize Certificate of Artistic Merit | Luxembourg
2019 | Luxembourg Art Prize Certificate of Artistic Merit | Luxembourg
2016 | Luxembourg Art Prize Certificate of Artistic Merit | Luxembourg
2015 | Finalist Connect2Colour Summer Arts Prize London | UK
2014 | Painted Europe’s first Rainbow Pedestrian Crossing in Brighton | UK
2013 | Painting selected by author Neil Gaiman featured in ‘A Calendar of Tales’
2011 | Paintings featured in Spy Drama ‘Page Eight’ | BBC Television
2004 | Winner Brighton Artist of the Year | UK
2005 | Nominated for the Ambassadors Art Prize | Belgium
2005 | Nominated for the Women’s Art Show Basingstoke | UK
2004 | Shortlisted for the Brighton Festival Art Prize | UK
EXHIBITIONS
2024 I FLUX Exhibition I Marylebone I London
2024 I JM Gallery I Portobello I London
2023 I FLUX Exhibition I Piccadilly I London
2022 | June | FLUX Exhibition | Greenwich Peninsula | London
2022 | February/March Raising The Bar Online Art Auction
2021 | November | FLUX Exhibition | Greenwich Peninsula | London
2019 | July Turning Tides Festival |Greenwich Peninsula | London
2019 | July Women in Art Exhibition | Elena Shchukina Gallery Mayfair | London
2019 | March FLUX Exhibition | The National Army Museum Chelsea | London
2018 | May/June Group Exhibition | Elena Shchukina Gallery Mayfair | London
2018 | April FLUX Exhibition | Chelsea College of Arts Chelsea | London
2017 | October Private Exhibition | Stefano Ricci Store Mayfair | London
2017 | July FLUX Exhibition | Chelsea College of Arts Chelsea | London
2017 | May/June Group Exhibition | Elena Shchukina Gallery Mayfair | London
2016 | November FLUX Exhibition | The Old Truman Brewery | London
2015 | December FLUX Exhibition | Royal College of Art Kensington | London
2015| August Group Exhibition | Lacey Contemporary Gallery Holland Park | London
2015 | July Elements Exhibition | Gabriel Fine Art Gallery Notting Hill Gate | London
2015 | June Lungs Exhibition | Brighton
2015 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2015 | April Women’s Art Exhibition | Brush Gallery | Brighton
2015 | February BOAT Theatre Auction | Brighton
2014 | December Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2014 | October ACHICA Promotion | Online
2014 | October The Other Art Fair | Truman Brewery | London
2014 | September RISE Charity Auction | Amex Stadium | Brighton
2014 | June Painted Europe’s first Rainbow Pedestrian Crossing | Brighton
2014 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2014 | April The Other Art Fair | Ambika P3 Mayfair | London
2014 | March Private Exhibition | Clyde & Co Solicitors | Guildford
2013 | December Private Exhibition | The Hospital Club | London
2013 | December Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2013 | November World Aids Day Charity Exhibition |Brighton Dome | Brighton
2013 | November Art4Aid Charity Auction | Plumpton
2013 | October Affordable Art Fair Battersea | London
2013 | October The Other Art Fair | Truman Brewery | London
2013 | September Down To The Bone | Onca Gallery | Brighton
2013 | September Northern Art Exhibition | West Yorkshire
2013 | July Oxford Art Fair | Oxford
2013 | June Painting selected by Neil Gaiman featured in ‘A Calendar of Tales’
2013 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2012 | December Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2012 | October Affordable Art Fair | Singapore
2012 | September Affordable Art Fair Battersea | London
2012 | September Group Show | Store Street Gallery | London
2012 | September LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair Berkeley Square | London
2012 | May Art in the Windmill | Rottingdean
2012 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2012 | January | Skyline Gallery | Brighton
2011 | December Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2011 | November Dame Vera Lynn Trust Art Auction | Horsham
2011 | October Off Beige Exhibition | Brighton
2011 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2011 | April Tsunami Relief Art Auction | London
2011 | January | Skyline Gallery | Brighton
2011 | March Spy Drama Page Eight | BBC Television
2011 | January Figuratively Speaking Solo Exhibition | Cambridge
2011 | December Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2010 | July | Blue Dog Gallery | Brighton
2010 | May Hove Champagne Festival VIP Room | Brighton
2010 | May ARTY Auction | Grand Hotel | Brighton
2010 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2009 | June Cambridge Art Fair | Cambridge
2009 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2009 | May Glasgow Art Fair | Glasgow
2008 | September Edinburgh Art Fair | Edinburgh
2008 | May Five at Five Exhibition | Brighton
2008 | Man in a Box Internationally Nominated Film Cannes | France
2007 | May Visual Dialogues | M.P Birla Millenium Art Gallery | London
2007 | June Group Show |1215 Gallery | Windsor
2007 | July | Blue Moon Gallery | Tunbridge Wells
2007 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2007 | October The Affordable Art Fair | London
2007 | November Manchester Art Show | Manchester
2006 | November The Great Christmas Art Fair | London
2006 | October Affordable Art Fair Battersea | London
2006 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2006 | May Group Show | Blanche House | Brighton
2005 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2005 | November The Ambassador’s Art Prize Nominated | Belgium
2005 | September The Women’s Art Show | Basingstoke
2005 | September conTemporary Gallery Group Show | Hove
2005 | May You are Here Caia Matheson Solo Show | Brighton
2004 | May Pendulodic Group Installation | Sallis Benney Theatre | Brighton
2004 | May The Big Blip Science Art and Technology Festival | Brighton
2004 | May Brighton Festival Artists Open Houses | Brighton
2004 | May Urban Art Trail | Brighton
2004 | May The Rood Screen Exhibition | Brighton
2004 | June Art @ the Brighton Wave | Brighton
2004 | June Art @ the Claremont |Brighton
2004 | June Art @ the Oriental | Brighton
2004 | December Open House Trails | Brighton
2004 | December Artist(e) Exhibition | Brighton Fringe Basement | Brighton
2003 | March Group Show | Tanning Gallery | | Brighton
2003 | May Under The Arches Group show | Brighton
Exhibition List prior to 2003 available on request
EDUCATION
BTEC Foundation Diploma in Fine Art and 3D Design (Distinction)
Wood Street Campus Barnet London, UK
A Level Art & History of Art
Lansdowne College Bark Place Kensington London, UK
O Level Art History of Art and English Language
Ashwell House Study Centre Pembridge Square Notting Hill Gate London UK
Saint Andrews School for Girls Johannesburg South Africa
International School of the Sacred Heart Tokyo Japan
IMAGE COURTESY SIMON DACK PHOTOGRAPHER