Helena Toraño is a Spanish visual artist based in Asturias whose practice is primarily rooted in painting, while also incorporating installation, video, and other contemporary visual languages. Her work explores the image as a space for reflection, developing narratives that move between the intimate and the collective.
She holds a BA in Fine Arts from the University of the Basque Country (2007) and has built a consolidated career within the Spanish contemporary art scene. Over the years, her work has been presented in galleries, art centers, and national and international art fairs, reflecting the versatility and consistency of her artistic practice.
Career
From the beginning of her career, Helena Toraño has maintained a close connection with painting. What started as an early artistic interest became the core of a long-term visual investigation that continues to evolve today.
Her first solo exhibitions, such as “Pop” (Sala Borrón, Oviedo, 2010) and “Interiores” (Galería Adriana Suárez, Gijón, 2011), introduced a practice focused on image construction and narrative structures. At the same time, her work was selected for numerous national art competitions, including the Luarca National Art Competition, the Casimiro Baragaña Contemporary Painting Competition, the Villaviciosa Painting Competition, and the Noreña Painting Biennial.
She also participated in collective projects such as “Ópera+Artes” (Teatro Campoamor, Oviedo) and “Artistas y Derivados” (Museo Barjola, Gijón), gradually expanding the scope of her professional activity.
Exhibitions and Selected Projects
Throughout her career, Helena Toraño has developed a range of exhibitions that reflect the evolution of her artistic language and her interest in experimenting with different formats and media.
Key exhibitions include “Buen otoño nos espera” (2015), “Las horas libres” (2017), presented at Galería Utopía Parkway in Madrid, and “Top Secret” (2017) at Galería Llamazares. This latter project marked a turning point in her career by combining painting, installation, and video within a single exhibition framework.
In 2018 she presented “Viento a favor” at Art Mustang Projects, which acquired several of her works for its collection. She has since continued to develop solo and group projects that have strengthened her position within the contemporary art scene.
Awards, Fairs and Collections
Helena Toraño’s work has been recognized through awards, selections, and participation in specialized art fairs.
In 2014 she received the Asturias Young Artists Award for her piece “Las Cosas”. Later, she was selected for the Pilar Citoler Young Collector Prize during JustMad7. In 2018 she also received second prize at the 14th Casimiro Baragaña National Painting Competition.
Her work has been shown at art fairs including JustMad (Madrid), Art Marbella, Arte Oviedo, Context Art Miami, JustLX (Lisbon), Urvanity (Madrid), and Another Fair. She is also part of private and institutional collections linked to contemporary art.
Recent Activity
In recent years, Helena Toraño has maintained an active exhibition and professional practice. In 2021 she participated in “A Polyphonic Narrative. Asturian Art 2010–2020”, curated by Semíramis González at the Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto in Gijón.
In 2022 she took part in Urvanity Art Fair and collaborated with the education department of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, delivering a workshop focused on painting techniques. In 2023 she returned to Urvanity with a new selection of works presented alongside Galería Llamazares.
Her recent activity also includes projects and exhibitions in cultural institutions across Asturias, including the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, the Casa Municipal de Cultura in Llanes, the Professional Art Week in Oviedo, and the Official College of Architects of Asturias. These projects reflect the continuity and ongoing evolution of her artistic practice.
Editorial Design and Other Projects
Alongside her artistic practice, Helena Toraño has developed various projects in editorial design and visual communication. These include the illustration of The Great Gatsby for Uvebooks and graphic work for different publications and music-related projects.
She has also created visual identities and artwork for musical releases such as “Hacia el mar” by Lavandera and “Entretiempo” by the duo Møna, expanding her practice into the field of graphic design and visual culture.
