Basel, 23, is a Physics BSc graduate from the University of York and PPL holder. He is the winner of three flying scholarships, the most recent being the Honourable Company of Air Pilots full PPL award. Basel was then awarded the John Landymore Trophy given to the most outstanding PPL scholar of the year.

Prior to being awarded the scholarships, Basel’s self-taught art funded his flying training - with each brushstroke, an evident love affair with flying. His work mainly focuses around vintage aviation, and it is his ambition to fly and preserve these characteristic machines.

Unique to Basel is his charitable contributions - raising £740 for Aerobility through his art donations.

All the profits from Basel’s work goes towards his flying training.

From the artist: ‘I have never been able to regard aeroplanes as inanimate objects - as Eric Brown said, they portray character through their controls and beauty or ugliness through their forms. To me, though, some age like a fine wine - and that is the aim with each and every one of my commissions. They are not just for the now and present, but for the generations to come.’

- Basel H

Basel does all his work with oils, on plywood panels which he cuts and primes himself. He uses the premium Artist Oil Colour series from British brand Winsor and Newton, as well as special series colours from American Brand Gamblin.