James Clar is a Filipino-American artist and NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program alumnus, working across Manila, Dubai and New York. Clar's work explores the narrative potential of light and technology. He develops unique lighting systems for sculptural installations, critically examining technology’s influence on perception and culture. When the Sky Reaches the Ground (2025) is a large-scale, luminous urban installation which taps into these concerns. The piece – constructed with neon lights set within a scaffold grid – is designed to evoke a sense of awe and grandeur. It symbolises speed, light and energy, capturing a frozen moment of a lightning bolt striking the Earth.