Philip Colbert is a British artistwho paints large-scale canvases that combine old master painting and contemporary art theory with everyday symbols of mass culture.The scenes are narrated through the eyes of a cartoon lobster alter ego. Born in Scotland, he lives and works in London.He describes himself as a “Neo Pop Surrealist”.
Colbert graduated with an MA in Philosophy from St. Andrews University.His multidisciplinary approach incorporates painting, sculpture, clothing, furniture and design.In his paintings, emojis, computer windows and pixelated mouse cursors share the canvas with classical architecture.He has said, “I became an artist when I became a lobster”.
His “New Paintings” show at Saatchi Gallery in London took place in 2017.He later showed “Hunt Paintings” at Frieze LA, where the large canvases included the Hunt Triptych and Lion Hunt.In 2020 Colbert presented “Lobsteropolis” at Saatchi Gallery as a response to the pandemic and lockdown. Visitors could attend in person or tour the gallery digitally through robot lobsters.,In June 2021 he launched a virtual city also called Lobsteropolis, with a physical event at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The Lobstars are the citizens of that city.Hockney and the Lobster imagines an encounter between David Hockney and Colbert's Lobster character. It was one of the NFTs in “22 for 2022”, a sale presented by Artsy and Verisart.“House of the Lobster” was shown in 2024 at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.In 2026 he installed 36 giant lobster sculptures among the ruins of Pompeii, inspired by a 2,000-year-old lobster mosaic found at the site.
