MIX Art Gallery & Event Space
Located at 156 E. State St. (2nd Floor) -On the Ithaca Commons
Basil Bakhshi with Billie Bakhshi: First Light
This November 2025, MIX Art Gallery presents First Light by Basil Bakhshi. Born in war-torn Pakistan, Bakhshi lived on the streets until adoption brought him into a world of stability and creative possibility. Those beginnings left an enduring imprint on his vision, one that recognizes tension and resilience as essential parts of beauty.
Now based in New York’s Finger Lakes, Bakhshi draws inspiration from the region’s shifting light and tranquil landscapes. His work spans oil painting and ceramics, guided by the Japanese concept of shibumi: an unpretentious, balanced beauty that reveals itself through simplicity and depth. His art carries the rawness of experience while offering stillness and reflection.
Bakhshi’s plein-air oil painting, awarded Best in Show in French Alezum, Pennsylvania, affirmed his commitment to painting directly from life. In First Light, he exhibits alongside his partner, Billie Bakhshi, whose debut features lively, affordable works that radiate warmth and joy. Together, their practices explore contrast and harmony; two expressions of a shared pursuit to find beauty in the everyday.
To celebrate the exhibition, Basil Bakhshi is offering a complimentary “Abstract Portrait” with the purchase of any work. “Each color becomes a heartbeat, each line a whisper of presence,” he explains. “Through abstraction, I reveal memory, mood, and the inner rhythm of being.”
MIX Art Gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays from 3 -7 PM, and Saturdays from 12 -6 PM, at 156 E. State St. on the Ithaca Commons. Visit www.mixartgallery.com or shop online at https://www.mixartgallery.com/shop-artists.
