The Paintings of Elia Tomás
Born in Italy, Elia Tomás is a talented visual artist currently based in Madrid. His first memories of art originate from his uncle who painted landscapes that, although devoid of any human element, remained full of personality. After achieving a degree in psychology, Tomás decided to begin a 
new chapter in his life. After thirty-two years of life in Italy, he relocated in 2011 to Spain, distancing himself from everything he knew to pursue his own unique style of art.
Tomás’s work focuses on the human element; the narratives of his subjects are expressed through portraiture, both individual and group. The majority of his work examines the concept of self-discovery through relationships and memories, both personal and of others. Within a continuous process of redefinition, the subjects of Tomás’s paintings either search backwards in time for those aspects they lack or live with intense intimacy in the present. Included within that process of self-discovery is an examination of masculinity and what that concept means personally and to society.
Elia Tomás defines his painting as synthetic in that each canvas is developed from a carefully de-contextualized set of photographic material; the photos are either self-produced or contained with private or historical archives. Tomás places emphasis on the style of his brushwork to 
create balances between faithful depictions and abstractions. He often alters faces and bodies with the brushwork to evoke the attention and emotions of his paintings’ spectators. Tomás’s color palette has developed throughout his career from an earlier blue-toned palette to a more chromatically complex one with some emphasis placed currently on yellows and pinks.
Tomás has consistently exhibited his work over the years, the initial public showing being the 2010 “Landing Point” at Palazzo Ducale in Genova. His paintings have appeared in both solo and group exhibitions in Italy, Spain, Albania, and the United States.
Notes: Unless noted as private collection, all works by Elia Tomás are in the collection of Elia Tomás/Saatchi Art Gallery.
Original work by Elia Tomás can be obtained through Saatchi Art Gallery: https://www.saatchiart.com/EliaTomas
The Elia Tomás website is located at: https://eliatomas.com
Bottom Insert Image: Elia Tomás, “Hiding the Tracks No.1”, 2011, Acrylic on Canvas, 116.8 x 96.5 cm, Private Collection