GUIM TIÓ
b. 1987, SpainThe figures in Guim Tió’s artworks don’t look directly out of the frame—they are turned away, have their eyes closed or are standing alone in majestic landscapes. They ask the viewer to consider perception, emptiness and solitude.
Early Years
Guim Tió was born in Barcelona in 1987. He studied fine arts at the University of Barcelona and also spent time working as a teacher at a Barcelona high school.
Guim Tió: Artworks
Tió’s artworks, mostly rendered in oil or coloured pencil, are both abstract and figurative. Whether depicting a solitary figure, a faceless individual or a silhouette, the artist is asking us to explore ideas of identity and silence, criticising the overstimulating nature of modern life and media and pointing out what remains unseen.
Meanwhile, the altered photography that was a hallmark of his early practice questions ideals of beauty. During the early 2010s he manipulated photographs from magazines, using waxes, solvents and acrylic to alter the images and include large areas of bright colour.
- In Butes (2023), a diver hovers above a body of water, their shadow clear on the surface. However, where have they dived from? There’s no visible board or boat. This picture was used by the New York Review of Books on the cover of the summer 2024 issue.
- In Awakenings, his 2025 exhibition in Paris, Guim Tió concentrated on the moments between sleep and waking, when fragments of dreams are retained but not fully recalled. Among the works on display was La Volta (2025), a sleeping figure on top of a bed, lying on their side and turned away from the viewer.
- The Pillow Paintings series in 2026 was a result of Tió reading the 11th century Japanese work Pillow Book, written by Sei Shōnagon. Common ground between Tió and Shōnagon came in the form of the qualities found in small moments of views briefly seen. The book is arranged in the form of lists, which is also how Tió arranged his exhibition.
Guim Tió: Select Exhibitions
Select Solo Exhibitions
- Pillow Paintings, François Ghebaly, Los Angeles (2026)
- Despertares, Ruttkowski;68, Paris (2025)
- Este sol de la infancia, Artisde Gallery, Seoul (2024)
- Ja no hi és el xiprer, Alzueta Gallery, Casavells (2024)
- Roots, Ruttkowski;68, New York City (2023)
- 12 Thoughts, Back Y, Taipei (2022)
- Stars and Fireflies, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona (2019)
- On Paper, Yiri Arts, Kaohsiung (2018)
- Univers, Yiri Arts, Taipei (2014)
Select Group Exhibitions
- Marco. Límite y lugar, Alzueta Gallery, Madrid (2025)
- Licked by the waves, More Museum, Gorssel (2024)
- New Landscapes II, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona (2023)
- Holiday for me, Artside Gallery, Seoul (2021)
- Art on a postcard, London (2019)
- Marrakech Biennale (2014)
Further Reading
- Guim Tió’s website
- Guim Tió’s Instagram
- Artist profile page at François Ghebaly
Guim Tió FAQs
What is Noom?
Guim Tió co-founded Noom with graphic designer Raimon Guirado. The idea behind it was to create a publication that promoted the work of less well known creatives.
Who are Guim Tió’s influences?
In a 2011 [interview][3], Tió discussed liking the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francis Bacon, as well as more modern artists including Andrew Hem and Conrad Roset. However, more recent influences include Mamma Andersson and Luc Tuymans. His grandparents were also painters.
Where does Tió get his inspiration?
Guim Tió’s paintings often begin with images, which could be taken from his own travels, scenes from art history, or found photographs and postcards. But it is not the subject of the images that directly inspires, rather the feelings and emotions contained in each.
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