Phillip Lai

Phillip Lai was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 and moved to London in 1979, where he continues to live and work. He holds both BA and MA Fine Art degrees from Chelsea School of Art & Design, completing his studies in 1994. Lai has been a lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London since 2001.

Over the past three decades, Phillip Lai has developed a sculptural language exploring ubiquitous materials and experiences derived from techno-industrial culture—such as mass production, functionality, mechanistic systems, automation, ergonomics, and infrastructure. His work considers our psychological interactions with this culture as well as our intermingling with it. Transfers or retentions of energy are envisioned through materials and objects that often suggest the support of basic daily functions, needs, and the sustaining of human life. Containers— plates, sinks, bowls, or barrels—often appear alongside motifs such as cloth in the form of jute, clothing, or tarpaulin, layers utilised to provide protection, shelter, or warmth. Across all of Lai’s work, he excavates for something deeper, reaching beyond the apparent inertia of objects to glimpse traces of figuration that may belie their abstraction.