introducing basil sessler

multidisciplinary artist & animal lover

Basil was born and raised in the forests of southern New Hampshire, USA to do three things: make art, upcycle things, and ask questions. they attended Phillips Exeter Academy during high school and later Leeds Arts University to study animation. they’ve called many places home; Japan, Iceland, England, Portugal, and since 2024, São Paulo, Brasil.

In 2024 Basil received a late autism & adhd diagnosis. struggling with health and mental health issues since childhood, and having bounced around different kinds of jobs- hotel cleaner, barista, sales agent, project consultant, florist— life proves to be a miraculous & terrific challenge and journey that sometimes heavily informs the work Baz produces. Despite all the wandering, Baz always returns home to art; to the practice that holds them together.

awards

  • Awarded the Graphite Pencil for stand-out work that rises above the rest for the completed D&AD project brief, Billie the Cat & Katie: The Animation by Bach Do, Basil Sessler, and James Parker

  • Given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the theatre by Phillips Exeter Academy

  • Gold Keys are awarded to work demonstrating the highest level of achievement in originality, personal voice, and technical skill.

    2014: Gold Key awarded for Portrait

    2015: Gold Key awarded for Dear, Deer

  • ‘Occasionally [Basil] can run down the wrong rabbit hole, but really there are no wrong holes when one is looking for more than rabbits.”

    Matt Miller

  • "Basil is a consummate artist… pursuing the passion of their life. There are no insignificant moments in life, except those we don’t get to live, and Basil seems wonderfully bent on making all their moments matter”

    Anonymous

  • “Basil is someone I have come to trust to produce a high quality artistic product on their own. They’ve always been a pleasure to have on any crew because of their dedication, talent, and team spirit.”

    Cary Wendell

  • “‘To create is to resist; art is by its very nature political and micropolitical, and Basil’s work is an inspired daily creative activity and activism!”

    Jon Sakata