About

Philip Graff Shapiro (b.1994, Miami, FL) or more commonly known as Philson, is a Miami and New York-based artist using mixed media to create two and three-dimensional works which explore the intersection of control and chaos as observed in natural phenomena. In a nod to the chance procedures used by Marcel Duchamp, Philson’s work operates in continual dialogue with the natural world and the ways in which the laws of physics influence a material’s visual outcome.

Philson manipulates found materials, traditional paint and canvas, and newly created media to produce his works. He submits these materials to a series of processes, creating a conversation between the mark of the artist’s hand and interventions by means of more volatile applications. In this way, Philson experiments to find and potentially surpass the limits of the media he works within, exploring themes of improvisation, destruction, control, and renewal.

The natural world inspires both Philson’s means of production and his aesthetic language - pieces incorporate primordial textures, using elemental palettes and forms that resemble geological phenomena. Philson’s works often resemble views of Earth seen both from a microscopic lens and from miles above.

Philson’s recent solo exhibitions include Red Dot (2019) and Deception at Nautilus (2017). He has been featured in group exhibitions including Erotica at AD Gallery (2018) NonFinito Gallery (2018), Datg Concept New York and Las Vegas (2018), and Art Contemporary San Diego (2017). His work is represented in private collections both within the US and internationally, including the Rivergate Collection, Miami, FL (2020), the Peirats Collection, Key Biscayne, FL (2019), Palin Collection NYC, NY (2018), and Madan Collection, Miami, FL (2019).