The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” - Carl Sagan
The Human Cosmos
by Chris Rivers
Vernissage february 19
Midtun Dowling is proud to present The Human Cosmos, an exhibition by British artist Chris Rivers. The Human Cosmos invites us into a sensorial and charged visual universe in which human experience and cosmic infinity seamlessly merge. The exhibition marks Rivers’ first solo exhibition in Bergen, and in Norway.
Developed from Rivers’ sold-out exhibition Universal, the show presents the print series The Zodiac Universe, comprising two distinct yet interconnected bodies of work: Zodiac Landscapes and Zodiac Starmaps. Drawing on the symbolic language of metals, elements, planets, and constellations, the works emerge from an intuitive and exploratory process in which astrology, mythology, and celestial cartography form a poetic framework for reflecting on humanity’s place within the universe. Through symbolic systems and visual archetypes, the works open spaces where inner visions and external cosmic structures mirror one another, unfolding as both monumental compositions and finely detailed, almost tactile surfaces. In the encounter between the human presence and the boundless cosmos, a fragile balance is established between intimacy and distance, body and eternity. The works appear as dreamlike landscapes where the familiar and the unknown coexist.
At the core of Chris Rivers’ artistic practice is a slow and deliberate process in which materiality plays a central role. Dense impasto oil paint meets translucent glazes layered upon one another, creating depth and movement within the image. Fields of colour—ranging from cool blues and violets to warm reds and deep crimsons—evoke cosmic eruptions, elemental forces, and the slow passage of time. New to these print series is the integration of metal leaf in gold, silver, copper, and platinum, which introduces a subtle luminosity reminiscent of stardust and planetary matter, lending the surfaces a living, shifting presence.
The exhibition consists of 24 hand-coloured prints that together form The Zodiac Universe. The Series Zodiac Starmaps twelve works depict the individual zodiac signs, accompanied by the twelve celestial compositions of Zodiac Landscapes, featuring a return of Rivers’ iconic astronaut figure—situated within dreamlike terrains beneath each corresponding constellation. Taken together, the works merge human presence and cosmic vastness into a unified visual language.
At its core, The Human Cosmos is an exploration of transformation and awareness. Through processes of dissolution and reconstruction, Rivers creates visual realms where order and chaos, harmony and tension exist in a delicate equilibrium. The works invite slow contemplation, unfolding layered narratives over time—quiet spaces for wonder, where the gaze can move between the infinitely vast and the deeply human.
The exhibition stands as both a meditation on the universe around us and a reflection of the cosmos within—an invitation to experience humanity as part of a larger, ever-expanding whole.
