WorkArt & Culture

Unreal Space: Guim Tió Zarraluki's paintings of isolation could be both good and bad

Depending on your type of personality, this series of paintings by Guim Tió Zarraluki could be interpreted as happy or sad. As an introvert, I find them appealing and peaceful. Entitled Unreal Space, the Barcelona artist depicts characters alone in various scenes – by a lake, in a bed, wandering through a forest... I can understand why others might seem these portraits as depressing or lonely, but either way – they are beautifully serene.

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A shirtless man in burgundy shorts stands alone in deep blue water beneath a pale sky and distant green shoreline

Considered to be an emerging artist, Guim Tió's work is often abstract, particularly his portraits where he often dismantles a photograph of someone, leaving only parts untouched, and the rest completely transformed. Just lately, however, his style has taken a softer approach, where instead of faces being distorted, they are hidden. This is an artist that you simply must follow. Discover more of his work at guimtio.com.

Figure in a red shirt rowing a boat on a calm turquoise lake with forested hills beyond, viewed from behind
A solitary figure in red stands in a vast pale landscape beneath a dark horizon and distant green mountains
A solitary figure in orange clothing stands on a pale sandy surface beneath a dark chasm, with warm-toned cliffs visible above the horizon
Framed painting by Guim Tió Zarraluki showing a solitary figure skiing across a snowy landscape with birds flying overhead
Minimalist painting showing a single red flower on a windowsill viewed through an open window with dark interior beyond, in a wooden frame
Minimalist landscape painting with rolling hills in orange and green, a dark teal water body, and a yellow sandy beach, with a solitary figure seated by the shore
A solitary figure stands in a vast golden field beside a white cottage with a terracotta roof under a grey sky, painted by Guim Tió Zarraluki
A framed painting by Guim Tió Zarraluki showing a solitary figure suspended by a thread against a pale, misty background within a wooden frame
Person lying in bed beneath white sheets and blankets with a green headboard, shown in a framed artwork by Guim Tió Zarraluki from his Unreal Space series
A solitary figure in a yellow coat walks through a dense forest of tall, pale trees against a dark background in a painting with a wooden frame
A solitary yellow tent sits on a khaki-coloured plain beneath a dark stormy sky, from Guim Tió Zarraluki's Unreal Space series
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