Skip to main content

Header Navigation

Artists

Myles de Bastion

He // Him // His, They // Them // Theirs

Technical Artist, Musician, and Creative Altruist

Portland, Oregon

A person standing with a guitar, surrounded by vibrant LED lights. They have shoulder-length, dark hair styled with one side shaved and are wearing a black T-shirt with bold text partially visible that reads “ALL THE SENSES.” They are illuminated by a blend of colorful lights, creating a dramatic and artistic effect.

Photo by Sam Gehrke.

My work fixates itself on unanswered questions: How can we further leverage technology to make art more accessible? How can we foster greater understanding and empathy through inclusive art experiences? These are the driving forces of my professional life, and they inspire me to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in accessible art.”

Myles de Bastion is a technical artist and disability rights advocate known for creating immersive, sensory-substitution art installations and experiences centered on themes of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

As the Founder and Artistic Director of CymaSpace, a non-profit that facilitates arts and cultural events for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, de Bastion spearheads the Sign Language Cafe — a cultural and networking hub for Deaf and disabled professionals — and the Northwest Deaf Arts Festival. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his work pivoted towards virtual and mixed reality (VR/XR) events and projects.

As a bilingual communicator in English and American Sign Language, de Bastion honed his creative technical skills through fellowships and residencies with Epic Games, Open Signal, and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Arts (PICA). He is also a technical consultant to Gallaudet University's Motion Light Lab, which explores Sign Language technology in academia funded by the National Science Foundation.

He has received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oregon Community Foundation / Oregon Humanities Fields Artist Fellowship, the ArtMatters Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Oregon Cultural Trust. He is currently building the Ikigai Machine, an inclusive puzzle room featuring tactile props and non-verbal storytelling for DeafBlind patrons. As a Deaf entrepreneur with progressive vision loss, de Bastion is uniquely qualified to create inclusive virtual and physical experiences for Deaf, disabled, and non-disabled audiences that push the boundaries of accessible art and technology.

Donor -This award was generously supported by The Ford Family Foundation.

This artist page was last updated on: 01.30.2025

The Ikigai Machine   A Virtual Visual Sound Production 0 4 screenshot

The Ikigai Machine: A Virtual Visual Sound Production by Myles de Bastion, 2022. Digital Video, 18:32 minutes.

Cymatic Star Myles de Bastion, Portland Art Museum 2016   2017 0 5 screenshot

Cymatic Star by Myles de Bastion, 2016–2017. Acrylic, Shuji paper, and Micro-electronics which display sound dynamics using colored LED-lights. Sound Beyond the Auditory exhibition, Portland Art Museum.

A Deaf led Sci Fi Adventure by Myles de Bastion (IKIGAI MACHINE Live Experience at PICA) 0 9 screenshot

Ikigai Machine by Myles de Bastion, 2020. Live experience at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). Other collaborators include musician Chris Funk, lighting designer Jeremy Roth, and tactile wearables lab.