Cubbi was born Samuel “Cubbi” Thompson‑Van Wylde on June 14, 1988, in St. Ives, Cornwall, a fishing village famed for its historic artists’ colony. His mother, Eleanor Van Wylde, was a marine biologist who spent her days cataloguing the tides, while his father, Harold Thompson, worked as a lighthouse keeper on the perilous cliffs of Land’s End. The family’s modest cottage overlooked the Atlantic, and the rhythmic crash of waves became the soundtrack of Cubbi’s formative years.
The juxtaposition of scientific rigor (courtesy of his mother) and the poetic solitude of lighthouse life (courtesy of his father) instilled in him a fascination with structure and light—the two forces that would later dominate his art.
“I grew up watching light refract off water, seeing patterns in the foam, and listening to my mother describe the anatomy of a kelp forest,” Cubbi once told The Guardian in a 2022 interview. “It taught me that every surface is a map, every ripple a data point.” cubbi thompson van wylde
After a decade of exploring the intersection of pixelation and cubist fragmentation, Cubbi embarked on his most ambitious project to date: “Symphonic Structures.” The title hints at the work’s dual nature—a visual symphony composed of sculptural “movements” that echo musical forms.
In a 2022 artist’s statement, Cubbi described his intent: Cubbi was born Samuel “Cubbi” Thompson‑Van Wylde on
“I wanted to translate the architecture of a Beethoven sonata into physical space, using light, vibration, and material as my notes. Each structure is a stanza, each light pulse a phrase. The viewer walks through the score.”
Before we discuss her work, we have to address the name itself. "Cubbi Thompson Van Wylde" is a linguistic mouthful that feels both aristocratic and playfully chaotic. In interviews (which are few and far between, adding to her mystique), Cubbi has hinted that her name is a direct reflection of her mixed heritage. “I grew up watching light refract off water,
Growing up between London and Brooklyn, Cubbi Thompson Van Wylde learned early how to code-switch between old-world manners and new-world chaos. This duality is the engine of her art.
In 2020, Cubbi established the Van Wylde Foundation, a non‑profit dedicated to providing STEM‑art scholarships to under‑represented youth. The foundation’s flagship program, “Code + Canvas,” partners with schools across the UK to teach children how to merge programming with traditional art techniques.
Cubbi is also an outspoken advocate for climate action, integrating sustainability into his practice. Many of his sculptures now incorporate recycled aluminum and solar‑powered LEDs, and he publicly refuses to work with galleries that do not adhere to carbon‑neutral policies.