Tomàs Sunyol

Tomàs Martínez Sunyol (b. 1964, Dieulefit, France and raised in Catalonia) is a Spanish painter celebrated for his evocative explorations of light and shadow as expressions of the human spirit. Raised in an artistic family-his father, Joaquim Martínez Lerma, and uncle, Álvaro Sunyol, were both painters-Tomàs was immersed in the world of art from an early age. He demonstrated an early passion for drawing and color, which he initially honed through illustration before fully dedicating himself to painting.

 

After his family relocated to Catalonia, settling in Badalona, Sunyol attended the Pau Gargallo School of Art, where his creative talents flourished. Early exposure to publishers, art fairs, and international competitions helped him gain recognition in Europe and the Americas.

 

Over the years, his work - signed simply as "Tomàs" - has become highly sought after by collectors for its technical mastery, distinctive use of color, and contemplative reflections on the human condition.

 

Sunyol has participated in numerous international exhibitions and competitions, earning several prestigious awards, including the Torres García Prize (Ciudad de Mataró) and the Museu Diocesà de Barcelona Award.

 

His paintings often portray the subtle poetry of everyday urban life-alleyways, windows, red tablecloths fluttering in the breeze, or the shadow of a neighbor's towel drying in the sun. Through these intimate details, he captures the ephemeral beauty of ordinary moments and reminds viewers of the profound dialogue between light and shadow in our lives.

 

As critic Josep M. Cadena has observed, Sunyol's work reveals that shadows are not mere complements to light, but essential components of our environment and our emotional reality.His paintings invite us to embrace the familiar, the fleeting, and the quietly transformative spaces where spirit and shadow meet.