The web browser is a 21st-century canvas
I still remember the moment I was first introduced to p5.js in a class at NYU ITP. After finishing a first-day exercise — building an animated circle bouncing off the four edges of the browser window — I was completely stunned to realize I could create anything in the browser. Until then, websites were tools for mundane tasks like looking up information or sending emails. Seeing the browser transform into a space for pure artistic expression was mind-blowing.
That feeling stayed with me, shaping how I view the web as a creative medium. Across every tool and discipline I’ve explored, three distinct characteristics make the web uniquely expressive:
1. It’s interactive.
Web pages react to every scroll, click, and keypress. Unlike static visuals or linear, time-based media, a web experience is inherently hands-on, inviting the audience to participate. When integrated thoughtfully, interactivity adds a contextual dimension that makes art feel alive.
Take the demo below: an element that follows your cursor. It’s subtle, yet engaging. You can participate immediately without explanation.
2. It’s computational.
Every pixel in the browser is rendered through code. That means your work can be generative or algorithmic — creating a unique composition on every load, responding to live APIs, or turning raw data directly into visual and auditory experiences. I call this computational nature a new aesthetic.
Below is my work, Doors (2022). Every door is placed in a randomized position, producing a distinct composition every time the page loads. Try reloading the scene to see the layout rearrange.
Another example is New Interface of Time (2023), where visuals are generated in real time from color palettes mapped directly to hours, minutes, and seconds. This dynamic rendering is possible with browser-native time APIs. In the demo below, each time anchor maps directly to red, green, and blue. As time flows, it blends colors, creating a meditative artifact.
3. It’s universal.
Websites are among the most accessible digital media. Anyone with a computer and internet access can open a URL anytime, anywhere. The work doesn’t require specialized software, nor do you need to be standing in a museum to experience it. No other medium offers that kind of reach.
This perspective drives my creative practice on the web, informs my Canvas for Coders course, and inspires me to keep building Async Museum as an independent space for web art. I believe the browser is a canvas for the next generation of artists.