Phil America (b. 1983) is a California-raised artist, creative director and activist. Currently based between Milan, Italy and Los Angeles, 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 tandem with his art practice he has worked with numerous brands in fashion such as Casablanca, Comme des Garçons, Gentle Monster, Boris Bidjan Saberi and more. His work within fashion is often informed by his art practice, often using installation, video, photography and design in his work.

In 2023 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 as wells working with other organizations. Along with the school he also hosted 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 Nations, International Labor Organization, World Vision, U.S. Department of Labor, UNESCAP, Planned Parenthood, International Organization for Migration, the Australian Government, World Pride, US 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 writing and photography have appeared in a number of books and newspapers and he has been featured in magazines internationally.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS

2019

2014

SELECTED PERFORMANCES / TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS

2018

  • 2017

INVITED TALKS / WORKSHOPS

SELECTED BOOKS

SELECTED PRESS

New York Post, Juxtapoz, Sacramento Bee, Gothamist, LA Weekly, Observer, 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 NC, Mass Appeal