For those who call Old Westbury home, the landscape has a distinct way of leaving an impression. The winding, tree-lined roads, the expansive open spaces, and the pervasive sense of tranquility create a rare kind of sanctuary. For contemporary artist Michelle Sakhai, whose striking, luminous paintings are currently on display at the Leon + Good gallery in Locust Valley, this environment wasn't just a backdrop for her childhood, it was the foundation of her creative practice.

“I grew up in Old Westbury, and my parents still live in the same home where I was raised,” she shares. “No matter where life has taken me, it has always remained a special place to return to. What I love most is its sense of tranquility. It always feels like an escape from the busy world.”

Sakhai spent over two decades working strictly as a plein air landscape artist, completing hundreds of paintings outdoors including many right here across Long Island. That discipline taught her to sit with a landscape for hours, observing the rapid, subtle shifts in light and season. Eventually, her desire to reach a deeper level of expression sparked a transformation. 

She began experimenting with metal leaf to play with the negative space of her landscapes, a technique directly inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock prints. Little by little, the gold and silver leaf took over the canvas entirely, moving her work away from literal horizons and into her signature, luminous abstractions. These layered works explore themes of light, transformation, and connection, acting as a visual bridge between her Japanese and Persian heritage. By fusing the structured, reflective harmony of Japanese art with the intricate appreciation for light and spiritual depth found in Persian tradition, her paintings invite a sense of presence that goes far beyond the surface. She believes the most meaningful paintings do not tell viewers what to feel, but instead create space for contemplation, connection, and personal discovery. 

Her path to becoming an expert in her field is backed by a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and Art History from Hofstra University, an MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and extensive study abroad in Italy, Spain, and France. Her milestones include a residency at the Fairmont San Francisco and exhibitions in the United States, Japan, India, and Europe. Her work has been acquired by hospitals, museums, hospitality spaces, and private collections.

Yet, what defines her professional journey is her confidence in her own creative voice. In an industry often driven by fleeting trends, she remains anchored in her own artistic truth.

“I try not to become overly influenced by trends,” she notes. “While it is important to understand the broader art world, I believe lasting work comes from authenticity rather than following what is popular in the moment.”

This grounding allows her to create art that moves beyond decoration into the realm of the transformative. Sakhai serves on the Advisory Board for Hofstra’s Department of Art and Design to support future generations of artists, and she recently created a custom installation for the Women's Center at Montefiore Einstein Medical Center, a project close to her heart aimed at bringing comfort and hope to women when they need it most.

Now, she is stepping into a new chapter: motherhood. For many professionals, a major life transition brings hesitation, but she views it with the same curiosity and trust that guides her hand on the canvas. Rather than seeing creativity and motherhood as competing forces, she embraces the unknown of this new season.

“As I enter this new chapter of life as a mother, I am excited to see where my heart leads me creatively,” she says. “Some of the most meaningful moments in my artistic journey have come from embracing the unknown, and I look forward to seeing how this new season of life may unfold through my work.”

It is a perspective rooted in a piece of wisdom she offers to anyone seeking their own path, whether in the studio or in daily life: Create from a place of curiosity rather than perfection.

Even as her work pushes into minimalist, abstract territory, her roots remain visible. As Sakhai recently noted of her latest gold and silver leaf pieces, she can never quite escape her past as a landscape artist because the natural rhythms of nature, light, and change simply come through in everything she creates.