Born in Toronto in 1951, Phil Richards studied at the Ontario College of Art, graduating with his AOCA in 1973. He has worked full-time as a visual artist for over 35 years, with numerous solo and group shows.

Throughout his career, Richards has been involved in numerous commissioned projects. His large-scale murals include The Congress Centre (Ottawa), The Eaton Centre (Toronto), Cineplex Odeon (Woodbine Centre, Toronto), and the Cinedom Media Complex (Cologne, Germany), a work that included 187 celebrity portraits. Richards is also an accomplished portrait artist with commissions that include the former Premier of Ontario (Bob Rae) for Queen's Park, the former President of the University of Toronto (Robert Prichard), Chancellors of University of Western Ontario, and the CEOs of Scotiabank and London Life.

Richard's work can be found in hundreds of collections in both North America and Europe. These collections range from public (The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Confederation Centre PEI, The Robet McLaughlin Art Gallery, The Kitchener-Waterloo Regional Art Gallery), to corporate (Scotiabank, TD Bank, Four Seasons, Imperial Oil, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Warner Bros.), to private.

Phil Richards has been commissioned by the Government of Canada to paint a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The portrait will be unveiled at a special ceremony during Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Phil Richards currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.