For Manchester-based Tomas Gittins, art making is an act composed of instinct and intention in equal measure. Gittins is just one artist leading the charge of a promising class of up-and-coming talent in the UK – a cohort opting for a more raw, unfiltered dialogue with the world at large, often going beyond the traditional white-walled space and into on-the-ground pockets of culture.

Only six months in, 2025 has already been a banner year for the Brazilian-English artist, locking in a range of fashion and artistic projects under his belt. Now, the Toxic Arts starlet is coming back together the gallery, this time, gearing up to open Pursuit of Joy, his debut solo exhibition. Staged in the heart of Soho, Gittins lands in London with a fresh crop of his signature face paintings — all of which have sold out days before opening doors.

Alongside the works on view, Pursuit of Joy also marks his first step into footwear. In collaboration with Salomon Sportstyle, he brings a sketchbook twist to the classic XT-6’s. With a duet of monochromatic characters stretched across the side panels and stars that kiss the heel, the custom, one-of-one pair will be given to a visitor on June 6. Additionally,  a special, screen-printed Gore-Tex jacket will be making an appearance, as well as a three limited-edition t-shirt giveaway for the first 100 visitors.

Rather than a final stop, Gittins envisions his canvases as captures of feeling in-flux. “Every character I make is a reflection of those feelings trapped inside. When I walk away from a canvas, I know a piece is done when I look at it and it’s looking back at me,” he told Hypeart. “I do art to make myself feel whole.” Embarking on this new era and road to joy, the artist takes us along for the ride. Ahead of the opening, Gittins walks us through pre-show feels, the ever-evolving UK creative landscape and what it’s like to be an artist on the rise. The exhibition will be on view in London on June 6.

“My paintings evolve as people — we’re all slowly just coming into the final image of what we’d like to be.”

I started with works on paper and would sell them for £30. It led me to make larger pieces and over time, this expansion of scale — and joy — gave me the confidence to work with canvases. “The Joy Must Grow” is about spreading how it makes me feel into the masses and then building my joy through this ethos. This show is really a benchmark for me. It’s a way to say, ‘This is what I am.’ I love what I do and to be able to share it — that’s my pursuit of joy and it will only get bigger.

I’m a big runner and I love Salomon. My friend bought some of their shoes and I kept the box to make a drawing. I texted a picture of it to someone from Salomon and they offered me a pair of shoes. Since then, we’ve been able to form a really natural friendship and partnership, which has allowed me to get to this point. I still can’t believe it.

I had an initial drawing I made by hand, but had no idea how I was going to get it on the shoe, so I went to a sneaker guy for some help. They turned out so good, I’m really happy with it. It’s one of those things where you close your eyes and just see an image of what you want: something that is truly me.

I wanted to make it so that when you stand, my characters look at each other, and wanted to put as much as myself on a shoe without making it too garish. Something bold and recognizable, but also something that seamlessly fit with the design. That’s how the faces come across, and I just love the star. It’s so cute on the back.

From the time I came back, I started to hone in on how I wanted my work to be perceived. I wanted people to look my pieces, recognize it as mine and just feel things within them. My paintings aren’t just one layer. I’ll probably paint like seven faces on top of one another. If you ever get to see my pieces in person, you’ll see the layers of faces that passed through beforehand, and it’s like my paintings evolve as people — we’re all slowly just coming into the final image of what we’d like to be.

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Toxic Arts Gallery

What keeps me motivated is just making my drawings grow. I’ve got to wake up and feel the fire and just see where my future takes me.

It’s all about going out there, making connections and working on stuff that’s true to you. Right now, it’s a lot of brand work. I love working with Salomon because it’s very me, and by doing a project like this, it propels me in these different directions that help me navigate the scene. It’s also about tapping into all these different pockets and utilizing everything within the UK scene. We’re a small nation, so everything’s quite accessible if you’re willing to seek it out.

With Manchester, we’re sort of new to the art scene. Gallery presence is still growing, and it’s coming along nicely. There’s really a real push for young Manchester artists because we’re seeing a lot of potential and now people have a better understanding of how you can make it through art.

It’s been such a breath of fresh air because I’m not a businessman, I just love to paint. Toxic Arts gives me the opportunity to focus on creating without pigeonholing me or stunting my abilities. They don’t have an in-person gallery space, but every time they do a show, it’s all about bringing you into their world. They’ve entrusted me with the belief of what I want to do, so it feels more like working with friends that want to see me reach my potential and really do that as well.

I want people to come in and see my work and feel a connection to what I’ve built, especially something that’s as recognizable as faces. A lot of people have said my work feels quite nostalgic. As long as it evokes a feeling or a memory, I’m happy with just that little bit of connection. That’s all I want — for people to see the character in the piece and not just the 2D image.

When I started making art, I realized this is what I’m going to be doing. It’s what makes me smile when I wake up and excited to start my day. What keeps me motivated is just making my drawings grow. I’ve got to wake up and feel the fire and just see where my future takes me.