If you’ve hopped off the train at Siam BTS recently, you’ve probably noticed something big happening at Parc Paragon. Like giant red lobsters, lobsters riding elephants and shooting water guns.” 

Those would be Philip Colbert’s iconic installations. The Scottish pop artist known for his character-driven sea world—especially his playful ruby-red lobsters—is displaying his work in Thailand for the first time, courtesy of an exclusive partnership with Siam Paragon to celebrate Songkran.

The luxury shopping destination is no stranger to massive collaborations. (Remember SpongeBob last Songkran?) For this Thai New Year, they teamed up with an artist some call “the godson of Andy Warhol” to transform Parc Paragon—their bustling landmark outdoor space —into the “Songkran Lobster Wonderland by Philip Colbert,” as part of their summer celebration “Siam Paragon Ultrasonic Water Festival 2024” that runs from 9 – 16 April 2024. 

This hyper pop playground features larger-than-life lobster installations with a decidedly Thai flavor. Think tuk tuks, elephants, vivid flower patterns, and, of course, water guns. 

Some, like the centerpiece “Lobstar Octopus,” an inflatable lobster wearing a pink and blue octopus suit, frame a stage set up for the event. It’s a perfect complement for the colorful holiday, and especially the events that Siam Paragon has planned for its global visitors.

With the support of Kasikornbank, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Ministry of Culture, Joox, and TikTok, Siam Paragon is bringing together more than 100 music performers from now through April 16. There will also be everything from a traditional Buddha bathing ceremony to comtemporary molam shows from bands like Paradise Bangkok and Songkran-themed TikTok content contests. In other words, a whole lot of action.

Siam Paragon Ultrasonic Water Festival is a no-brainer for anyone celebrating Songkran in Bangkok. It will be bright. It will be vivacious. It will be non-stop fun. 

With Colbert’s “Lobster Wonderland” setting the stage, it will also be unforgettable. 

“I became an artist when I became a lobster”

Colbert is a true icon of modern art, and not just because his work transcends sculptures and paintings. (He also produces animations, comic books, digital art, fashion items, and more.) 

Just like Songkran is a holiday made for everyone, regardless of background, Colbert says he has always aspired to share his art with the masses. “I like universality. I don’t want my work to be too niche,” he explains. “Art is an energy exchange between the viewer and the work, and I’m obsessed with energy.” 

That may be an unusual worldview for someone whose profession often relegates works to gallery walls, but Colbert isn’t your usual artist. 

Colbert never went to art school. He studied philosophy at the University of St. Andrews, where he not only earned his master’s degree, but also became “obsessed with antiquity.” 

After graduating, he took odd jobs and even “became a door-to-door salesman at one point” while he fashioned his creative approach and vivified his aesthetic. 

But he admits: “I became an artist when I became a lobster.”

The crimson crustacean has been Colbert’s signature motif since 2017. It’s the symbol that turned the world onto him in the first place. Whimsical as it is, the lobster holds deep meaning for him. 

“Growing up in Scotland, I was surrounded by fairytales, storytelling, and myths, like the Loch Ness Monster. As an artist, I became obsessed with symbols, language, and history,” says Colbert.

“Throughout history, the lobster keeps appearing as this protagonist figure. It’s in Dutch still-life paintings as a symbol of mortality. Salvador Dalí painted lobsters. It’s in ancient Greek art,” he continues. 

“As I brought it into my art, it became an important symbol for me. People started calling me ‘the lobster man.’ Now I think it’s fair to say I’ve created the most lobster art in history.”

Not just any art. In the past seven years, Colbert has worked with luxury brands like Rolex, Montblanc, Christian Louboutin, and COMME des GARÇONS. He has exhibited at The Saatchi Gallery in London and displayed a 12-meter inflatable lobster at the 2022 Venice Biennale. This year, his exhibition “House of the Lobster” appeared alongside ancient classics at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. 

Thanks to his collaboration with Siam Paragon, his lobster art now comes alive with elements of Thai culture, specially the Songkran festivity. It’s a match made in underwater heaven.

Exploring a new world

When Colbert was approached by Siam Paragon, he was sold from the start. 

“Once I dived into Thailand’s art history, architectural styles, and aesthetics, I realized it could open a whole new chapter in my work,” he says. 

The moment he arrived in Thailand, in fact, he was captured by the “lobster-red sun” rising on the horizon, the vivid greenery growing across the city, and the incredible nuance everywhere. He managed to translate small details and impressions like these into stunning pieces. 

From the surfing lobster set at Siam Paragon to the subtle lobster claws molded into a rounded Giant Swing installation outside, everything from the curves and spires of Thai temples to the country’s bright bold colors and its connection to the sea pop in Colbert’s signature style. 

“Thai symbols to me are fresh and fantastical, and there’s such a deep respect for distilling philosophy into aesthetics here. I can really see myself being influenced by Thailand [forever],” he says. 

His “Songkran Lobster Wonderland” collaboration with Siam Paragon might also inspire millions of global visitors. After all, if you want to share art and ideas with people, there aren’t many better places to do it on Earth than Siam Paragon.

“Siam Paragon Ultrasonic Water Festival 2024: Songkran Lobster Wonderland by Philip Colbert” runs from April 9-16, 2024, at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon. For more information, please call 02-610-8000 or follow Siam Paragon on Facebook and Instagram: SiamParagon.