From childhood sketches of Pokémon to creating geometric characters on the blockchain, Tormius’ creative path has been anything but linear. A designer by training and an artist at heart, he has forged a unique visual identity rooted in abstraction, geometry, and emotional resonance.

His most recent project, Shapets, is a playful body of work that exemplifies his desire to “question the expected” and channel his creative spirit. The collection of over 600 geometric characters born from a simple spark of inspiration and developed into a fully realized universe of rarity, expression, and charm.

In this interview, we chat with Tormius about his journey to NFT art, the creative spark behind Shapets, and how music, curiosity, and community continue to fuel his artistic evolution.

OpenSea: How did your creative journey begin, and what led you to focus on digital art as your medium?

Tormius: If we go back to my childhood, like most children, I always had creative interests. I drew Pokemon, I drew comics... but it wasn't something that I now think shaped my life from the beginning; video games took up most of my time. In my teens, I stopped drawing. I remember my mother wondering why I had stopped drawing, considering how much I used to do it before. At that point, I became interested in writing. I suppose my creative curiosity led me to want to be a writer. After finishing my compulsory education, I studied graphic design, where the idea of being a writer had already faded after several failed attempts to write something meaningful, and I discovered that what I needed to channel my creativity was design. Although I still work as a designer today and I love it, when I started my degree, I returned to the idea of drawing that I had as a child and I knew that my calling was to pursue illustration and art, not a career as a designer as such. It sounds like a lot of changes instead of pursuing something with all the failed attempts that entails, but I saw it as more of an experiment to try things out until I found something that really resonated with me.

That's when I started developing Tormius. While working during my studies, I had a physical work that didn't require much mental effort, and I remember that my mind was constantly thinking about how I wanted to express myself and what my artistic project would be like, coming up with various artistic names, researching many references... I think I've always overthought things a lot. At that time, I tried many different things, until at the end of 2020, after finishing my studies, I found a way to express myself through abstraction and geometry, which I have gradually evolved until now.

OpenSea: Did growing up in Valencia influence the way you see shapes, structure, or color? Were there any artists or moments early on that steered you toward geometric abstraction?

Tormius: I was born and raised in a town called Xàtiva, a 50-minute drive from Valencia. It wasn't until I began studying design in Valencia that I was able to open myself up to learning new things and being influenced by the city's entire artistic movement. I remember that while studying for the entrance exam for the school where I studied, I discovered Circles in a Circle (1923) by Vasily Kandinsky, and that piece had an impact on me like no other had done before. I think that was when Tormius was born. It will always be a special piece for me. Around that time, I also discovered the work of local artists who are now international, such as Felipe Pantone and Deih.

OpenSea: You describe yourself as someone who sees creativity as a way of connecting with the world. When did that sense of creative identity really click for you?

Tormius: I believe that all children have the gift of creativity, but over time some abandon it and others keep it with them for life. It may be something I've always had inside me and that has tried to express itself in different ways, until I learned to listen to it and channel it into my actual work. I feel that my creative identity is constantly changing and evolving, something I am increasingly aware of, and I believe it will continue to be that way forever.

OpenSea: You’ve said that your art is shaped by curiosity and a desire to “question the expected.” Can you talk about how that mindset shows up in your work?

Tormius: I have never been a skilled artist in terms of realism, so I have sought my own way of expressing concepts by distancing myself from reality. In my works, I seek abstraction but with a touch of realism that can be seen either in concept or in certain elements that give meaning to the mass of lines you see. So, for me, questioning the expected means giving new meaning to what I want to express without being literal.

OpenSea: Let’s talk about Shapets. What was the original spark or idea behind this collection?

Tormius: Shapets was born in October 2024 after the launch of the Shape blockchain. The idea was simple, it was like a spark. I love playing with words and combining them to create new meanings, so after the buzz surrounding the launch of Shape, I saw the word all over my timeline and started, just for fun, thinking about it and trying to find some different meaning in it. Suddenly, Shapets popped into my mind, and I built the project in seconds, thinking of a collection of semicircular characters in Shape. At that moment, I knew I had to do something with it. I got to work and in less than a month I created 152 characters that I dropped in a collection that was very well received, so I thought that maybe I could give more of myself to this idea. The Shape team gave me the confidence to continue with the project, and so I created this new version of Shapets with 620 characters, rarities, types, tributes... It's everything I would have wanted to do with the first collection, so I renamed the first one Genesis Shapets, and this one will become the official Shapets.

OpenSea: Each piece in the collection feels playful and emotionally expressive, despite being so abstract. How do you make geometric forms feel emotional?

Tormius: I think that in this case with the Shapets, the key lies in the expressions. I have always used eyes in my work; it is an element that I always resort to and that fascinates me. It helps me a lot to establish my work and give it meaning with something real and understandable. I often start with an eye to create the rest of a piece.

OpenSea: How did you approach the color theory and shape dynamics in Shapets? Did you try to stick within certain parameters?

Tormius: Color theory was key to maintaining cohesion with so many characters. Except for Inspiration, Shapers, and Legendaries, all the rest share the same palette of 26 colors, with some slight variations in some of them. I created the palette by eye, based on how the colors looked together, so I could apply them without fear and color them all quickly. 

As for the shape, they all start from a semicircle, with some respecting the shape more than others. As I see the idea while drawing or looking at the shape of the Shapet, I allow myself to break away from the semicircle or respect it. That's why I tried to make those that seemed more different have a higher rarity.

OpenSea: What emotions or reactions are you hoping collectors experience when engaging with Shapets?

Tormius: Above all, fun. For me, it has been a very enjoyable drop to create. It has been intense to create all the characters by hand, but satisfying and fun. I like to think about the moment of revelation when collectors see that they have gotten a rare or funny one, or maybe even a legendary one!

I also think it's fun that they share it and I can comment on some interesting facts about their Shapet, such as why they have that name or why they look the way they do.

OpenSea: What does a typical creative session look like for you, from idea to execution?

Tormius: It varies somewhat as I learn what works best for me or if deadlines are tight, although sometimes I work better under pressure than with a deadline that is so far away that it allows me to procrastinate more than I should. But when I start creating, I always let the lines I draw speak to me and show me the way. I don't like working with a specific, very closed theme because I always follow the abstract, meaningless lines I draw in the first place. Depending on what I see there, I take the piece in one direction or another, or I erase it and keep trying to find something that will spark a new piece.

OpenSea: Your website links to a playlist you often listen to while drawing. How does music influence your flow or visual decisions?

Tormius: Thanks for mentioning that! Music is very important to me. When, for whatever reason, I haven't listened to music for several days, I notice it in my mood. When I'm facing a blank page to create a new piece, it's essential that I have some background music, but not just any music. It has to be music that I feel doesn't distract me from my main focus, and for me, that's jazz, soul and even some specific soft electronic and pop. I love rock and metal and listen to it a lot, especially at the gym, but right now I haven't found that it helps me in the creative process. 

OpenSea: What digital tools or techniques do you usually use? How has your workflow evolved over the years?

Tormius: From the beginning, my iPad has been my constant companion. I have a somewhat minimalist approach to my tools; I try not to get lost in running my piece through various programs to get the final result. My explorations and changes in style come more from how I sketch than how I do the process. Since I started, vectors have been my main tool, but lately I've been opening up more to digital painting. I'm always open to exploring new things like AI or generative art, but as I see it right now, these are explorations that allow me to create better sketches, not as tools for a final result.

OpenSea: You’ve built a career in the web3 art space. How has that ecosystem shaped your artistic growth or values?

Tormius: Web3 is everything to me. Tormius wouldn't exist as it does today if I hadn't discovered it. It has given me a path, a goal, constant learning, many friends, and a way to make a living from my art. I recently returned from the NFC Summit in Lisbon after attending the event for the second year in a row, and it's super exciting to be in a place where you get to meet so many people you get along with, as if you were lifelong friends.

In terms of my art, it has grown as I have shared it and had it acquired by many collectors. This has meant that, starting from scratch with an undefined style, I have perfected my style over time, always demanding more of myself and always seeking to be a better artist.

OpenSea: What’s next on your creative horizon? Any ideas or directions you’re currently exploring?

Tormius: Yes! As I mentioned, I'm excited right now about exploring creating pieces without vectors, purely digital painting. It allows me to have more expressive lines, and do more “dirty” work, which is something I really feel like doing right now. After finishing Shapets, I've gone back to creating pieces in my usual style, and I'm excited to be able to show them soon.

Something else that has me excited recently is the residency in Rio de Janeiro in July with Rio Art Residency, led by Selkie and Efdot. It will be a great experience where I know I will grow a lot as an artist, exploring new forms of creation and learning from other artist friends.

OpenSea: Thank you for chatting with us Tormius!

Tormius: Thank you so much Hannah for this interview!