Philip Nicol is based in Cardiff. For many years he was a lecturer in fine art in a number of  UK art schools. He was an artist in residence in Stuttgart and was included in the British Art Show, a national survey of British art. He has been the recipient of a number of prizes and has exhibited widely, both in the UK and further afield.

His work is in numerous private collections as well as, amongst others, the following public bodies: The Contemporary Art Society of Wales, Newport Museum and Art Gallery, The National Assembly of Wales, The National Museum of Wales (Derek Williams Trust Purchase), The Southern Arts Collection, Cardiff County Council, Glyn Vivian Museum, Swansea, Slovak National Museum, Czechoslovakia,  University of Glamorgan and Leeds College of Art & Design.