BasselsJ

BasselsJ makes sculpture and portraits about fighting: an appetite everyone carries, a price somebody else usually pays, and a refinement that takes a lifetime.

Latest work

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The Leap Beyond Torii

The torii gate symbolizes the transition from the mundane to the sacred. In martial arts, the kata serves as this gate—pillars we pass through, not get stuck at. True mastery requires sincere guidance that avoids arrogance, allowing students to discover what's hidden within themselves.

Wisdom of Tataka

Tataka means fight or battle. The painting shows how fighting can motivate a martial artist, yet it is only a stepping stone. Like a musician who uses conflict to hone sound, the true art lies beyond the clash, seeking the deeper healing beyond the fight.

Gates of Tairitsu

Tairitsu, a Japanese term, signifies more than conflict—it's a collision of opposing forces. Mokuso, the silent protocol in karate, bridges calm and adversity, turning internal struggle into a medium for self‑refinement, much like a musician learns from friction and sound—a path to mastery.

Source Abstract

Three figures in a cube of coat-hanger wire, bound to each other with yarn. The colour starts from one figure and never wraps itself, only the others.

Me Instrument in the We Orchestra

All humans produce sound, but not all sounds are music. A sculpture built from egg cartons with my two sons during the lockdown, about the one instrument you are responsible for tuning.

Fighting Sculptures

The sculptures are made of children: a block held at the point of contact, a strike stopped at full extension, bodies locked into a shape none could hold alone. I photographed what they made in 2018, then spent a year trying to get a live version in front of an audience.

The Holy Art

🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom → 🖼️ Reflections → 🎨 Multiple works → 🏆 Selections
Northwest Arts Centre

🇺🇸 Minot, United States → 🖼️ Americas All Media → 🎨 Source Abstract → 🏆 Honourable Mention
Dab Art Co.

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, United States → 🖼️ Art in the Time of Corona → 🎨 Blue String → 🏆 Selection, Publication
Prisma Art Prize

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy → 🖼️ Prisma Art Prize - Winter → 🎨 Red is Primary to Yellow’s Solo while Blue Leaves → 🏆 Selection

We have worked with

Testimonials

BasselsJ definitely has some of the most groundbreaking ideas in art and education that you will encounter. His passion and love for people are second to none.

Anna Silgardo

Founder, Artists in Momentum
BasselsJ’s art has a deep resonance with me and my values, and I will always be a proud curator of his work.

Jason Repovs

Art investor, photographer, writer
Coming from a military background, violence and its effects are a serious subject—today’s youth and parents need to hear the stories and art of BasselsJ.

CWO (Ret’d) Dorothée Paradis

Retired Chief Warrant Officer, Canadian Armed Forces
BasselsJ’s gorgeous piece celebrates our father Natale and his lifetime of dedication. What an honour to have this painting at our bakery.

Rob Bozzo

Owner, Sanremo Bakery Toronto

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BasselsJ

Latest work

The Leap Beyond Torii

Wisdom of Tataka

Gates of Tairitsu

Source Abstract

Me Instrument in the We Orchestra

Fighting Sculptures

Recent Shows

The Holy Art

Northwest Arts Centre

Dab Art Co.

Prisma Art Prize

We have worked with

Testimonials

Newsletter

Tags

Tairitsu Tataka Torii

Liberation from Fighting

Toronto Jazz in Colour

Guardians

Source Abstract

Me Instrument in the We Orchestra