Upcoming Exhibition

Korean

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Leeroy New

(b. 1986- Philippines)

Leeroy New is a Manila-based artist-designer whose practice overlaps and intersects with film, theater, product design, and fashion. He is a graduate of the Philippine High School for the Arts, where he majored in visual arts, and the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. Originally trained as a sculptor, he tried everything from production design for film, to working with fashion designers, to creating 3D mockups for commercial purposes. He was able to integrate this inclination to move from one mode of creative production to another as the spine of his creative practice.

He has staged numerous exhibitions and public art projects, including the Psychopomp's Reef (2011) installation for Bonifacio Global City's Offsite public gallery and Chrysalis (2012), and a 40ft bamboo and rattan boat-like structure for the Himala sa Buhangin festival in Ilocos Norte (2012). New has also been invited to participate in the 2008 Singapore Biennale and the 2009 Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale. He has also received several citations for his work, including: the grand prize for sculpture in the 2005 Metrobank Art Awards; the 2009 Ateneo Art Awards, wherein he was awarded the La Trobe Residency Grant in Australia and the Artesan Gallery Residency Grant in Singapore; a nomination for the 2011 Signature Art Prize, Singapore; the 2012 Cultural Center of the Philippines 13 Artists Award and the 2014 Metrobank Foundation Award for Continuing Excellence and Service.


Bird Nests, 2025
Bamboo, recycled plastic and found objects assembled Size variable

Leeroy New’s bird nest-inspired installation sculptures are notable for transforming everyday discarded materials into complex, biomorphic forms that evoke the creative ingenuity of avian nest building, while addressing environmental and social themes. These works often feature organic, swirl-like structures made from recycled plastics, electrical tubing, and hardware sourced objects, combining art, social commentary, and ecological consciousness.

Leeroy New reimagines the methodologies of birds in collecting nesting materials by foraging and assembling local, found objects such as plastics, irrigation hoses, and cable ties into large-scale installations. Like birds who use leaves, bark, and fibers, New draws parallels between natural and human-made materials-his sculptures often become “time capsules” containing both cultural and environmental narratives. The forms echo nests and root systems, referencing the Balete tree in Southeast Asia, and invoke themes of resourcefulness often found in Filipino communities who repurpose leftovers into decorative objects.