HELLO PHILIP, THANK YOU FOR JOINING 4BYSIX, IT’S A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU COLLABORATING WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME. TO BEGIN, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT INITIALLY INSPIRED YOUR JOURNEY INTO CREATING YOUR VIVID, POP-INFUSED WORLD?

I’ve always been fascinated by artists who reinvent reality, like Sonia Delaunay. That energy pushed me to build a universe where pop isn’t just a reference, but a place you can actually live inside. My work became a way of expanding pop art into a full environment.

⁠YOUR WORK OFTEN EXPLORES THE IDEA OF “LIVING WITHIN POP”, MERGING ART HISTORY, CONSUMERISM, AND THE DIGITAL AGE. HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THAT BALANCE BETWEEN HUMOUR AND CRITIQUE IN YOUR VISUAL STORYTELLING?

Humour draws you in, but I’m always interested in the relationship between light and dark. Especially how pop culture can be both a joyful spectacle and a reflection of our anxieties. My world holds utopia and apocalypse side by side.

THE LOBSTER HAS BECOME AN ICONIC FIGURE WITHIN YOUR UNIVERSE, ACTING ALMOST AS AN ALTER EGO OR AVATAR. HOW HAS THIS CHARACTER EVOLVED OVER TIME, AND WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY IN EXPRESSING YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON MODERN CULTURE?

The lobster is a form of identity through repetition, very much influenced by Warhol’s productification of the self. It began as a character rooted in the immediate moment of contemporary art history, then evolved into a figure journeying through art history and antiquity. The lobster has become a vessel for world-building.

⁠YOUR COMPOSITIONS BRING TOGETHER FRAGMENTS OF ART HISTORY, TECHNOLOGY, AND MASS MEDIA. WHEN WORKING ON A PIECE, DO THESE REFERENCES EMERGE INTUITIVELY, OR DO YOU BEGIN WITH A CLEAR NARRATIVE OR MESSAGE IN MIND?

It’s definitely a mixture. Sometimes I begin with a clear historical theme, and other times the ideas morph into hybrids of pop culture colliding with art history in a more intuitive, playful way.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST COLLABORATION WITH 4BYSIX, AND YOUR PAINTING HAS BEEN CREATED ON A DISCONTINUED LORRY TARPAULIN, A MATERIAL WITH ITS OWN STORY AND CHARACTER. HOW DID WORKING WITH THIS SURFACE INFLUENCE YOUR CREATIVE APPROACH OR CONCEPT FOR THE PIECE?

The recycled nature of the surface immediately made me want to respond to its material story. Because it’s a plastic canvas, I was drawn to the idea of a consumable object like a Coke can, turning everyday waste into something iconic.

SUSTAINABILITY AND REINVENTION ARE KEY PARTS OF 4BYSIX’S MISSION. HOW DO YOU SEE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS EVOLVING, ESPECIALLY AS MATERIALS LIKE RECYCLED PLASTIC BECOME PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS?

It feels increasingly essential that artists engage with sustainability. I’ve done many projects supporting environmental charities, and I believe art can play a role in rethinking materials and systems. Using recycled elements adds another layer of meaning to the work itself.

YOUR USE OF COLOUR IS BOLD, GRAPHIC, AND OFTEN LOADED WITH SYMBOLISM. DID THE PALETTE YOU CHOSE FOR THIS COLLABORATION HOLD ANY SPECIFIC MEANING OR CONNECTION TO THE MATERIAL OR MESSAGE BEHIND THE WORK?

Colour is a vital part of my storytelling. For this piece, I wanted the palette to amplify the pop intensity of the subject while playing off the recycled plastic surface. The bright, saturated tones reflect consumer culture, but also give new life to a material that’s been discarded.

⁠FINALLY, WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS, EXHIBITIONS, OR NEW DIRECTIONS THAT YOU’RE PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT EXPLORING?

I’m working on a major project in Singapore that’s launching early next year, and I’m also developing a children’s cartoon, bringing the lobster world into a whole new dimension.