Who is Tom Reed?
TOM REED IS AN ENGLISH ARTIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.
Tom is a true multi-disciplinary creator. In his studio, not far from the lake, he produces paintings, limited edition prints, picture books and silk scarf designs.
For Tom, art is an ongoing dialogue with his surroundings. His work often springs from the quiet observations of everyday life. Whether prompted by a walk down a street, a line in a book, or a day spent in nature, Tom seeks the universal "point" within a fleeting moment.
With a Fine Art degree from Oxford University, Tom combines classical artistic foundations with a contemporary eye. His curiosity leads to ideas which are explored in a variety of mediums and methods. His approach is thoughtful, curious, and deeply personal.
Painting
Tom’s paintings cover a wide range of subject matter - evocative landscapes painted outdoors that capture light and atmosphere. Intimate portraits that reveal psychological as well as physical characteristics. Still lifes that are unfamiliar. Tom’s paintings combine expressive figuration with vivid, tactile brushwork and a deep sense of narrative intimacy. Across landscapes, portraits and still lifes, a consistent emotional temperature emerges — tender, direct, and quietly uncanny. The figures often appear self-contained, caught between presence and reflection, while the landscapes and still lifes hum with color and pattern, suggesting inner states as much as external scenes.
What unites the work is its painterly language: dense, confident strokes; luminous, sometimes acidic color contrasts; and a fascination with light as both psychological and formal material. The subjects — whether a reclining man, a field, a vase of flowers, or a lounging black panther — share a human warmth and a slightly off-kilter perspective that turns the everyday into something poetic and strange.
Books
Tom is the highly accomplished author of twenty picture books. He was nominated for the Swiss Children’s Book Prize in 2023.
His very individual style has produced stories with characters as diverse as a grumpy hedgehog, a depressed rooster and a black spot. Whilst always very funny, his stories often deal with serious subjects. Subjects include the consequences of telling a lie (Anna and the Lies), how friends can be found in the most unlikely places (Oswald Makes a Friend), feeling down (Little Blue Rooster) and the strange things grandmothers say (Grandma Says…).
With their imaginative and humourous illustrations, these picture books are as entertaining for adults as they are for children.
Silk Scarves
Always keen to try new mediums and find new audiences for his work, Tom has recently produced an edition of silk foulard scarves. Made in the traditional silk printing town of Como, Italy, these scarves are of the highest craftsmanship and sustainably produced.
The designs are based on selected paintings of Tom’s and show off his vibrant sense of coulour.
The scarves come with a signed and embossed paper of authenticity with a quote from the artist about the specific scarf.
Courses
Tom offers regular courses and workshops in his studio. In these courses, he encourages others not only to learn how to draw, but to rediscover creativity as a natural, intuitive process.