Antoni Phillips investigates the relationship between the human body, materiality and perception through sculpture and installation. Drawing on phenomenology and existential philosophy, he is interested in how physical materials can evoke psychological and embodied experiences that resist straightforward interpretation.
Working primarily with fabricated steel, tensioned nylon string and industrial materials, Phillips creates structures that appear simultaneously fragile and resilient, suspended between construction and collapse.
The processes of fabrication, tension and balance become metaphors for the body's continual negotiation with its environment, inviting viewers to become conscious of their own physical presence in relation to the work.
He is inspired by the inherent qualities of materials and the way they carry histories of labour, industry and transformation.
Rather than using materials solely as a means to represent an idea, Phillips seeks to collaborate with their physical properties, allowing weight, tension, texture and spatial relationships to shape the works meaning.
Through immersive installations, he aims to create contemplative environments that encourage reflection on vulnerability, embodiment and the complex relationship between the internal and external self.