About

Phil America (b. 1983) is a California-raised artist, designer and activist. He has worked and lived throughout the US, Europe, Asia and Africa, concentrating on individual moments of freedom while looking at relationships with class, gender and race. In his work he uses installation and sculptures, performance, photography, video, and fashion in searching for a better understanding and connection to his subjects while bringing about an interpersonal relationship between the viewer and himself. Recently he has started to focus more on using conversation as a medium as well as looking for ways to activate unused spaces.

In 2020 he has continued his focus on education, helping in the development of DEAR Burma, a free school for migrants with over 1500 students per semester and opening more schools in 2020. Along with the school he also hosts a class for students effected by the prison system at Los Angeles High School of the Arts as part of PoPS Organization. He has given 3 TED Talks and has lectured at numerous universities and events. Phil has collaborated with United NationsInternational Labor OrganizationWorld Vision, U.S. Department of Labor, UNESCAP, Planned ParenthoodInternational Organization for Migration, the Australian Government, World PrideUS Embassy, Seoul, the Sacramento Kings and other agencies and organizations to create art projects around the globe.  He is also the founder of No Flags.

Phil’s most recent monograph, Above The Law: Graffiti On Passenger Trains, shows photos from his series Above The Law which has been show in museums and galleries on every continent on the globe. Our Side Of The Tracks, another of 3 books featuring the series, was released in 2012. His texts and photos have appeared in a number of books and newspapers and he has been featured in magazines internationally.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS

    2013

  • Museum of Modern Art – Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, New York, (USA) – White Ambition, part of The Exchange Archive
  • Bangkok University Gallery, Bangkok, (Thailand), Villa in the Slums
  • Solo exhibition at Montana Gallery, Lisbon, (Portugal), Above The Law
  • Solo exhibition at Vess, Copenhagen, (Denmark), The Nefarious Face Of Chinatown
  • City Hall, Mestre, Venice, (Italy)
  • 42-story Linc LIC building, public projection of Above The Law on skyscraper walls, NYC (USA)
  • Elks Lodge, New Jersey, (USA)
  • Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, (Canada)
  • Scope Miami, Miami Beach (USA)
  • See|Me Gallery, New York City (USA)
  • Art Gallery of Izmir University, Izmir, (Turkey), Above The Law
  • Production of films for Live at the Museum, shown at Münchener Stadtmuseum, Munich, (Germany), Ucity Art Museum of GAFA, Guangzhou, (China) etc.
    2011

  • Maag Halle, Photo 10 / Zürich, (Switzerland)

SELECTED PERFORMANCES / TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS

    2018
    2017
    2016
    2015

INVITED TALKS / WORKSHOPS

SELECTED BOOKS

    2017

SELECTED PRESS

New York Post, JuxtapozSacramento BeeGothamist, LA WeeklyObserver, Bangkok Post, The Guardian, Curbed, Inhabitat, Untapped Cities, BK Magazine, Vice, The Good Men Project, L’Oeil de la Photographie, The Creators Project, Arts Now NCMass Appeal