Phil Shaw

Phil was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in 1950. He studied art at Huddersfield School of Art, painting at Leeds Polytechnic and printmaking at the Royal College of Art. In 2000 he was awarded a doctorate in Printmaking from Middlesex University, where he has taught since 1980. In 2017 Phil published Shelf Obsession, a coffee table book featuring his artwork. He wrote that as a child, “I was and still am fascinated by thing which are not what they appear – puzzles, paradoxes and contradictions, the enigma of consciousness and the ultimate comedy of life.”

Phil’s prints have attracted significant attention from art critics and cultural commentators, and can be found in the collections of individuals including Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, illusionist Derren Brown, writer Anthony Horowitz, choreographer Arleen Phillips and actor Liam Neeson. His work can also be found in the possession of politicians and world leaders: Phil was commissioned by David Cameron to create ‘The Group of Eight’, the thought provoking print that was presented to world leaders including Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama at the 2013 G8 Summit in Northern Ireland.