diff --git a/lib/builtin/graph/src/graph_painter.dart b/lib/builtin/graph/src/graph_painter.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..932e22d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/builtin/graph/src/graph_painter.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/// Paints a laid-out [VaultGraph] (T-323): edges as lines, nodes as labelled
+/// dots, with a hover neighbourhood lit and everything else dimmed.
+///
+/// The [ForceLayout] solver produces [positions] in a [layoutSize] space; the
+/// painter fits that into the canvas (aspect-preserving, centered). The graph is
+/// clide's own UI here (not arbitrary content), so it paints through
+/// [SurfaceTokens] — theme chrome, per D-7.
+library;
+
+import 'dart:math' as math;
+import 'dart:ui' as ui;
+
+import 'package:clide/kernel/src/theme/tokens.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/graph/force_layout.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/graph/vault_graph.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
+
+class GraphPainter extends CustomPainter {
+  GraphPainter({required this.graph, required this.positions, required this.tokens, this.highlight, this.layoutSize = const Size(800, 600)});
+
+  final VaultGraph graph;
+  final Map<String, GraphPoint> positions;
+  final SurfaceTokens tokens;
+
+  /// When non-null, only these node ids (a hovered node's neighbourhood) render
+  /// at full strength; the rest dim.
+  final Set<String>? highlight;
+
+  final Size layoutSize;
+
+  static const double nodeRadius = 5;
+
+  @override
+  void paint(ui.Canvas canvas, Size size) {
+    if (graph.isEmpty || positions.isEmpty) return;
+    final scale = math.min(size.width / layoutSize.width, size.height / layoutSize.height);
+    final dx = (size.width - layoutSize.width * scale) / 2;
+    final dy = (size.height - layoutSize.height * scale) / 2;
+    Offset at(GraphPoint p) => Offset(dx + p.x * scale, dy + p.y * scale);
+    bool lit(String id) => highlight == null || highlight!.contains(id);
+
+    final edge = Paint()
+      ..strokeWidth = 1
+      ..color = tokens.dividerColor;
+    final edgeDim = Paint()
+      ..strokeWidth = 1
+      ..color = tokens.dividerColor.withValues(alpha: 0.2);
+    for (final e in graph.edges) {
+      final a = positions[e.from], b = positions[e.to];
+      if (a == null || b == null) continue;
+      canvas.drawLine(at(a), at(b), lit(e.from) && lit(e.to) ? edge : edgeDim);
+    }
+
+    for (final n in graph.nodes) {
+      final p = positions[n.id];
+      if (p == null) continue;
+      final o = at(p);
+      final on = lit(n.id);
+      canvas.drawCircle(o, nodeRadius, Paint()..color = on ? tokens.globalForeground : tokens.globalTextMuted.withValues(alpha: 0.35));
+      if (on) _label(canvas, n.label, o);
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _label(ui.Canvas canvas, String text, Offset o) {
+    final tp = TextPainter(
+      text: TextSpan(
+        text: text,
+        style: TextStyle(fontSize: 10, color: tokens.globalForeground),
+      ),
+      textDirection: TextDirection.ltr,
+      maxLines: 1,
+      ellipsis: '…',
+    )..layout(maxWidth: 120);
+    tp.paint(canvas, Offset(o.dx - tp.width / 2, o.dy + nodeRadius + 2));
+  }
+
+  @override
+  bool shouldRepaint(GraphPainter old) =>
+      !identical(old.graph, graph) || !identical(old.positions, positions) || old.highlight != highlight || old.tokens != tokens;
+}
diff --git a/test/builtin/graph/graph_painter_test.dart b/test/builtin/graph/graph_painter_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69bd056
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/builtin/graph/graph_painter_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import 'dart:ui' as ui;
+
+import 'package:clide/builtin/graph/src/graph_painter.dart';
+import 'package:clide/kernel/src/theme/tokens.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/graph/force_layout.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/graph/vault_graph.dart';
+import 'package:clide/widgets/src/clide_settings.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+import '../../helpers/kernel_fixture.dart';
+import '../../helpers/widget_harness.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  late KernelFixture f;
+  setUp(() async => f = await KernelFixture.create());
+  tearDown(() => f.dispose());
+
+  Future<SurfaceTokens> tokensFrom(WidgetTester tester) async {
+    late SurfaceTokens tokens;
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      anchoredHarness(
+        f,
+        Builder(
+          builder: (ctx) {
+            tokens = ClideSettings.theme.of(ctx).surface;
+            return const SizedBox();
+          },
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+    return tokens;
+  }
+
+  Future<bool> hasInk(GraphPainter painter, [double s = 200]) async {
+    final rec = ui.PictureRecorder();
+    painter.paint(ui.Canvas(rec, Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, s, s)), Size(s, s));
+    final img = await rec.endRecording().toImage(s.round(), s.round());
+    final data = (await img.toByteData())!;
+    for (var i = 3; i < data.lengthInBytes; i += 4) {
+      if (data.getUint8(i) != 0) return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  VaultGraph twoNodes() => VaultGraph.fromOutlinks({
+    'a.md': const ['b.md'],
+    'b.md': const [],
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('paints nodes, edges, and labels', (tester) async {
+    final tokens = await tokensFrom(tester);
+    final g = twoNodes();
+    final pos = ForceLayout.compute(['a.md', 'b.md'], g.edgePairs);
+    // toImage/toByteData is real engine async — run it off the fake test clock.
+    expect(await tester.runAsync(() => hasInk(GraphPainter(graph: g, positions: pos, tokens: tokens))), isTrue);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('dims nodes outside the hover neighbourhood but still draws ink', (tester) async {
+    final tokens = await tokensFrom(tester);
+    final g = twoNodes();
+    final pos = ForceLayout.compute(['a.md', 'b.md'], g.edgePairs);
+    // Highlight only a.md — b.md and the edge dim.
+    expect(await tester.runAsync(() => hasInk(GraphPainter(graph: g, positions: pos, tokens: tokens, highlight: g.neighborhood('a.md')))), isTrue);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('an empty graph paints nothing (no throw)', (tester) async {
+    final tokens = await tokensFrom(tester);
+    expect(await tester.runAsync(() => hasInk(GraphPainter(graph: const VaultGraph([], []), positions: const {}, tokens: tokens))), isFalse);
+  });
+}