Bilal Bikile, CV
b. 1998 San Diego, CA, USA
bilalbikile@gmail.com
Education
2020 – San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature
Honors: Outstanding Graduating Senior for Comparative Literature
Cum Laude (3.62 GPA)
Literary Work/Projects
2025 – Deixis Gallery, San Diego, CA (Founder & Curator)
January 4 - 31, Everything Unorthodox, A Group Exhibition curated by Bilal Bikile
March 7 - 30, Genesis, Mukama Madoshi Solo Show curated by Bilal Bikile
May 3 - 23, Nūr, Kamyar Mohsenin Solo Show curated by Bilal Bikile
2025 - Mountain Man, Selected for publication in issue 51.1 of Obsidian Lit Journal
2024 – Writer-in-Residence at The Grunewald Guild (Leavenworth, WA)
2023 – The Deixis Newsletter
2023 – The Deixis Podcast
2023 - “Bekele” A Deixis Production (Written by Bilal Bikile Mohamed & Animated by Avia Rose Ramm)
2022 - Interview with Devon Turnbull by Bilal Mohamed on Serving the People
2022 - Founder of literary magazine, Deixis Journal
2021 - The Unseen debut photo book publication and solo art exhibition at Swish Projects art gallery, San Diego, CA.
2021 - Lost Inside Journal featured in Electronic Literature Organization 2021 Conference, COVID E-Lit Exhibition
2020 – Host, Writer, and Producer of the arts podcast: Writer on the Run
2020 – Art Director and Cover Art Designer for “Daybook” and “Stained Glass”, EP and Single by Thomas Frye
2020 –Three Weeks of Being Present by Haadi Mohamed, Copywriter and Assistant Art Director
2020 – Essay: “Power and Expression” published in Pacific Review Journal
2020 – Photography feature for Hararian Organization’s “Unearth Photo Series”, Melbourne, AU
2020 –“Lost Inside: A Digital Inquiry”, Electronic Literature, Self-published
2020 – IBS Media’s Best Podcast Award, Voice actor and co-writer of “Channel X” for Radio Horror Redone, New York City, NY
2018 – Writer and Actor, “Relapse” Short Film, Top 4 of 96 Films in SDSU Campus Movie Fest, San Diego, CA
2018 – Model for Ultraolive featured on Hypebeast Magazine
2018 – Visiting Poet, Mingei Museum collaborative exhibition with Aja Project, Media Arts SD, and PANA San Diego, San Diego, CA
Work Experience
2020-Present - Deixis Gallery, Founder & Curator, San Diego, CA
2025 - Cultural Fellow, The AjA Project, San Diego, CA
2022-2024 – Office Administrator & Operations Assistant, Islamic Center of Irvine, Irvine, CA
2023 – Orange County Museum of Art, PR & Digital Marketing Coordinator, Costa Mesa, CA
2022-2023 – USHUB TV, Product Design & Marketing Associate / VP Marketing, Orange, CA
2022 – Vital Acquisitions, Corporate Trainer, Irvine, CA
2021 – ReAgent Studio, Remote, NFT Project Manager, Los Angeles, CA
2021 – Writer and Fine Artist, Remote (San Diego, CA | Los Angeles, CA | Istanbul, TR)
2020 – San Diego State University Art Galleries, Gallery Assistant, San Diego, CA
2019 – SDSU Center for Brazilian Studies, “Bandits and Heroes, Poets and Saints” Traveling Exhibition, Installation and Gallery Assistant, San Diego, CA
2019 – SDSU Mundt Peace Fellow and Intern at “Cambodian Living Arts”, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
2018-2019 – Poetic Youth, Volunteer and Curator, San Diego, CA
2018 – Poetry International, Intern Editor, San Diego, CA
2015 – Present – Independent Curator
Speaking Engagements:
2021 – High Tech High Graduate School of Education, “Found Beautiful”, Photography Presentation – “Seeing the Unseen”
2021 – University of Michigan, Presentation and Q&A on “Autofiction, Personal Essay, and the Online Self”
2021 – Electronic Literature Organization 2021 Conference, COVID E-Lit Exhibition, Panel Interview on Lost Inside Journal: A Digital Inquiry
Solo Shows
2021 - THE UNSEEN, solo art exhibition and photo book release at Swish Projects Art Gallery, San Diego, CA
Group Shows
2015-2018 – Gnashing Co. Bi-Annual Art Show, San Diego, CA
Curated Events and Exhibitions
2025 - Deixis Gallery, Founder & Curator of 3 major exhibitions
2022 – Deixis Journal Pop-Up and Reading at Lang Books, San Diego, CA
2019 –Poetic Youth Literary Festival featuring poets: Safia Elhillo, Fatima Asghar, and Ashaki Jackson, San Diego, CA
2019 –Drive By Say Hi (Photo Gallery) by Asad “Henri” Abdi, City Heights, CA
2018 – Picture Party’s Studio Immersion at EQ Studios, Chicano Park, CA
2015-2018 – Gnashing Co. Bi-Annual Art Show, San Diego, CA