Yousha Bashir Iranian, b. 1989

Yousha Bashir (b. 1989, Manila, Philippines) is a multidisciplinary Iranian artist living and working in Toronto. He holds a degree in Computer Graphics Design and a BA in Visual Arts from the University of Farhangian in Tehran. His practice has evolved from sculpture and installation toward an expanded understanding of painting as a spatial and perceptual condition rather than a confined surface.

Bashir’s work is anchored in what he calls “in-between space”—the overlooked realm between forms, thoughts, and bodies, allowing them to emerge. This attention to space is deeply informed by Eastern philosophies, which guide his approach to perception through an awareness of impermanence and continuous transformation. These ideas underpin his exploration of perception, identity, and boundary: where a form begins and ends, and where the self separates from its environment. His work challenges the frame, dissolving it or extending it, allowing painting to become an environment.

A core aspect of his practice is his use of color luminosity, which he uses to test the limits of perception. By placing contrasting colors in tension, he explores how color is perceived beyond optical stability, focusing on the thresholds of human perception. This tension between control and material presence shapes his luminous, shifting landscapes.

In recent works, Bashir embraces imperfection, gesture, and repetition. Through iterative reworking—both across canvases and within a single surface—he tests the work’s boundaries, treating each piece as provisional. His use of light structures each composition, evoking movement and new perspectives on space. His practice invites viewers to move beyond the image and engage fully with the act of perceiving and being present within space.