Pictured: The Lost Gardens of Lobsteropolis is Philip Colbert’s largest painting to date
Hundreds of brightly coloured lobsters are set to take over Woking this summer as artist Philip Colbert presents his first museum exhibition in the UK at Lightbox Gallery & Museum.
The Lost Gardens of Lobsteropolis runs from 25 July to 1 November 2026, transforming the Chobham Road venue into an immersive installation featuring new and previously unseen paintings, sculptures and large-scale artworks.
The exhibition is inspired by the mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon and imagines a surreal landscape where mythology, art history, popular culture and digital imagery converge. Visitors will encounter Colbert’s signature lobster character throughout the exhibition, with the artist using the motif to explore themes including repetition, spectacle and mass culture.
A centrepiece of the exhibition is The Lost Gardens of Lobsteropolis, described as Colbert’s largest painting to date. Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, the work reinterprets the Renaissance masterpiece with Colbert’s lobster alter ego appearing throughout a fantastical landscape.
The exhibition also includes new floral paintings, shaped canvases influenced by Frank Stella, large-scale sculptures and works from Colbert’s Battle Series. Together, the pieces aim to create an immersive environment that expands on the traditions of Pop Art.
The exhibition has been staged in Woking, the Surrey town closely associated with H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, where the opening chapters of the novel are set. Organisers say the display draws a playful parallel with the town’s literary heritage, replacing Wells’ fictional Martian invasion with an artistic “invasion” of lobsters.
Colbert said the exhibition reflects his interest in creating complete artistic worlds by bringing together ancient mythology, historical references and contemporary culture. He added that presenting the exhibition in Woking, because of its links to H.G. Wells and imaginative storytelling, made the location particularly appropriate.
Sarah Brown, Director of Lightbox Gallery & Museum, said the exhibition continues the venue’s tradition of hosting internationally recognised artists. She noted that the gallery has previously exhibited work by Grayson Perry, Paula Rego, Henry Moore and Andy Warhol, describing Colbert’s debut museum exhibition as a significant addition to its programme.
Visitors will spot Colbert’s Lobsters throughout the Woking venue
Often described as the “godson of Andy Warhol”, Colbert has exhibited internationally in cities including London, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai and New York, and is known for using his lobster persona to reinterpret Pop Art for contemporary audiences.
About Philip Colbert
Born in Scotland and living and working in London, Colbert is often referred to as the “godson of Andy Warhol”. He has created a global following for his cartoon lobster persona and his masterful hyper-pop history paintings. His work powerfully explores the patterns of contemporary digital culture and its relationship to a deeper art historical dialogue.
After graduating with an MA in Philosophy from St. Andrews University, Colbert’s work has received international acclaim in museums and galleries worldwide for his energetic new approach to painting and pop theory. Following on from early Pop painters such as Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist, Colbert’s paintings cross high art themes from old master paintings and contemporary art theory with everyday symbols of mass contemporary culture, all narrated through the eyes of Colbert’s cartoon Lobster alter ego. He has been championed as a contemporary pop master by art world figures such as Charles Saatchi & Simon de Pury.
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