About
A contemporary look at the Canary Islands
I am Octavio del Toro González, an artist born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. My training began with volume, modelling and sculpture, and that relationship with form is still present in my painting and illustration. I am drawn to the solid figure, the weight of the body, the simplicity of shapes and the ability of an image to tell a story with very few elements.
My work connects with the Canarian artistic tradition from a personal, contemporary point of view. It doesn't try to reproduce the landscape literally, but to keep its essence: the light, the land, the ocean, the people and the memory of the islands. Palm trees, volcanoes, salt flats, fisherwomen, farm women, boats, vineyards, white houses and cactus gardens make up a visual universe that speaks of the Canaries from the present.
Background
Trained at the Escuela de Artes Aplicadas y Oficios Artísticos de Las Palmas (volume) and at the Escuela Luján Pérez, where he has taught drawing and painting since 1998. More than twenty solo exhibitions since 1997 in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife and France, and work in private collections in France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Solo exhibitions (selection)
- 2025 · “Harimaguadas”, Château de Bressuire, France
- 2023 · “Arte encajado”, S/T Espacio Cultural, Las Palmas
- 2023 · “Itineraria”, Gran Canaria Visual Arts Circuit
- 2022 · “Harimaguadas”, Casa-Museo Antonio Padrón, Gáldar
- 2018 · “De mar… y ciudad”, Design Plus Bex Hotel, Las Palmas
- 2017 · “Recepciones”, Casa de la Cultura Benito Pérez Armas, Lanzarote
- 2009 · “Human Landscapes” (group show), IFF Gallery, New York
- 2008 · “Figuraciones”, Puerto Calero Art Gallery, Lanzarote
Group exhibitions (selection)
- 2019 · «Cita a ciegas con la Escuela Luján Pérez», Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2018 · Circuito de Artes Plásticas, Cabildo de Gran Canaria («La Escuela de Arte Libre. Convivium»)
- 2014 · «Artespace Spring», Colegio de Abogados de Las Palmas
- 2011 · «Sangre corriente», ESPAL, Santa Lucía · «Construcciones», S/T Espacio
- 2010 · Homenaje a Felo Monzón · Canarias Arte 2010, Expomeloneras · Hotel Meliá · Feria de Arte de Arucas
- 2009 · «Human Landscapes», IFF Gallery, Nueva York
Exposiciones individuales 1997–2025
- 1997 · Casa de la Cultura, San Mateo, Gran Canaria
- 1999 · Ateneo, Santa Lucía, Gran Canaria
- 2000 · Fundación Mapfre Guanarteme, Arucas
- 2001 · El Almacén, Arrecife, Lanzarote
- 2005 · «Tres Miradas», Galería Magenta, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2005 · Club Marítimo Varadero, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2006 · XXXIX Festival de Ópera de Las Palmas («Pagliacci», «Cavalleria rusticana»)
- 2007 · Galería Magenta, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2008 · «Figuraciones», Galería de arte Puerto Calero, Lanzarote
- 2009 · «Imágenes de ciudad», Fundación Mapfre Guanarteme
- 2010 · «Imágenes para… una crisis», CICCA, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2011 · Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos de Canarias, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
- 2012 · «Figuraciones II», Espacio Cultural S/T, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2014 · «Retales», Sala Lola Massieu, Santa Brígida
- 2015 · «Tierra/Arena», La Molina, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2017 · «Recepciones», Casa de la Cultura Benito Pérez Armas, Lanzarote
- 2018 · «De mar… y ciudad», Design Plus Bex Hotel, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2021 · «Óxidos», proyecto fotográfico
- 2022 · «Harimaguadas», Casa-Museo Antonio Padrón, Gáldar
- 2023 · «Arte encajado», S/T Espacio Cultural, Las Palmas de G.C.
- 2023 · «Itineraria», Circuito de Artes Plásticas de Gran Canaria
- 2025 · «Harimaguadas», Château de Bressuire, Francia
Exposiciones colectivas 1998–2019
- 1998 · Alumnos de la Escuela Luján Pérez, Santa Lucía
- 2000 · Homenaje a Elías Marrero, Real Club Náutico · Fundación ONCE · Grupo Trazos
- 2003 · «Forma/Color», Fundación Mapfre Guanarteme, Arucas
- 2004 · 75 aniversario Escuela Luján Pérez, Club de Prensa Canaria
- 2006 · «Arte por la vida», Gabinete Literario · XIV Bienal de Arte de Teror Pino Falcón
- 2007 · «Fondos marinos», VIII Certamen de Pintura Puerto de la Luz
- 2008 · 60 aniversario de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos, Santa Lucía
- 2009 · «Human Landscapes», IFF Gallery, Nueva York
- 2010 · Homenaje a Felo Monzón · Canarias Arte 2010, Expomeloneras · Hotel Meliá · Feria de Arte de Arucas
- 2011 · «Sangre corriente», ESPAL, Santa Lucía · «Construcciones», S/T Espacio
- 2014 · «Artespace Spring», Colegio de Abogados de Las Palmas
- 2018 · Circuito de Artes Plásticas, Cabildo de Gran Canaria («La Escuela de Arte Libre. Convivium»)
- 2019 · «Cita a ciegas con la Escuela Luján Pérez», Las Palmas de G.C.
Octavio del Toro
The Atlantic turned into image
Illustrations born in the Canary Islands, between volcanoes, sea, memory and light.
Illustrations
The Canaries, reinterpreted
Images created from places, people and symbols of the islands. Not tourist reproductions of the landscape: small stories of the Atlantic. Tap a work to see it large and ask for the price.
Collection for sale: Lanzarote
Lanzarote in shapes, planes and colour: La Geria, the volcanoes, the Cactus Garden, the windmills, the camels and their people.
Bodies that hold memory
This series gathers figures of forceful presence, broad and rooted bodies that speak of weight, resistance and permanence. They are not bodies understood only as form: in them remains the memory of work, of the wind, of the land and of a way of inhabiting the islands. Stillness matters here as much as movement. Each figure seems to hold something invisible: a story, a trade, a root.
Art to live with
Choose your illustration. Choose the size. And take a piece of the Atlantic with you.
I make these illustrations so they can leave the studio and live with people. For a home. For a special corner. To remember an island. As a gift. Or simply because an image connects us with something we recognise as our own.
Prints
One work, different ways to enjoy it
The illustrations come in several sizes and print formats, chosen to keep the quality, texture and colour of the original work. Each image is carefully prepared for high-resolution fine art printing. All prints come with a 2 cm white border.
For anywhere
from €10For desks and small corners
from €20The most requested size
from €35To anchor a wall
from €50How they are delivered
- Unframed, in a rigid tube or flat depending on size: easier to ship, and you choose the frame that best suits your space.
- If you'd rather have it framed, ask me for options and price.
- Handwritten dedication if it's a gift.
Commissions
A work made for you
Tell me the idea and I'll propose how to make it.
Tell me the idea
By WhatsApp or email: what you want, which space it's for, rough size and photos if you have them.
Sketch and quote
I send you a sketch and a fixed price. Confirmed with a 40% deposit.
Making
I send you photos along the way. 3 to 6 weeks depending on the format.
Delivery
Collect in the Canaries or I ship it packed and insured. The balance is paid before shipping.
From the studio to your space
Murals and projects for hotels, institutions and public spaces
Every space has an identity. My work is to turn that identity into a visual experience that moves the visitor and stays in their memory.
Projects
Workshops and talks
Canarian Indigenismo, told from the inside
I share my own view of Canarian Indigenismo: where it comes from and how that tradition lives on in a contemporary look at the islands. Talks and hands-on workshops for schools, town councils, museums, cultural associations, hotels and companies.
Talk · Canarian Indigenismo today
60–90 minutes. A journey through figure, volume and colour from the 1930s to my own work, with images and original pieces. For general audiences, schools and universities.
Workshop · Figures of the islands
2–4 hours. Draw and build a Canarian figure with my method: simplify, give weight to the body, choose few elements. Ages 10 and up. Materials included.
Workshop · Cardboard heads
One day or two sessions. Build a head from assembled, painted cardboard planes, like those in my sculpture series. Groups of up to 12.
Contents are adapted to age and available time. Ask for a proposal and quote, no obligation.
Find yours
Maybe a volcano. A farm woman. A palm tree facing the ocean. A fisherwoman. A white house. A cactus garden. Or simply a combination of shapes and colours that reminds you of the islands.
See all illustrationsShipping & questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you ship?
Yes. I ship to the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, the Balearics and all of Europe. Prints travel in a rigid tube or flat; framed works and originals in a made-to-measure crate, insured. I give you the exact cost together with the price.
How do I pay?
Bank transfer (SEPA) or Bizum in Spain. For commissions, a 40% deposit when the sketch is approved and the balance before shipping.
How long does it take?
Prints in stock: 3 to 7 working days. Prints made to order: about 2 weeks. Commissions: 3 to 6 weeks depending on the format.
Can I see the work in person?
Yes, in Lanzarote or Gran Canaria by appointment. Message me and we'll find a time.
Can I use the images on this site?
No. All works are protected by copyright. If you need an image for press, a project or a usage licence, write to me and we'll talk.
Contact
Let's talk
WhatsApp is the fastest. You can also email me, or follow me on Instagram to see new pieces.