Between Silence and Dreams

‘Proximity,’ by Toni Demuro. 2025, digital art, courtesy of the artist.

By Ithraeyat Editorial Team

September 30th, 2025

Imagination is a window on the possible, it transforms silence into images, it gives voice to interior landscapes.

Artist Toni Demuro

Every artwork is like a bedtime story. Mesmerizing, dream-like and full of emotion and heart.

Here we have the great honor to feature the brilliant creative works of the renowned Toni Demuro, an Italian illustrator and visual artist from Sardinia. He earned a degree in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sassari, developing a poetic and minimalist style known for its dreamlike atmosphere, symbolic use of nature, and refined color palette.

His illustrations have included award-winning book covers and picture books for major international clients such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Penguin Books, Vanity Fair, Corriere della Sera, and Mondadori.

Alongside his editorial work, he has designed posters for jazz festivals, literary events, and cultural gatherings, combining visual storytelling with a distinctive graphic sensibility.

His work stands out for its ability to convey emotion and imagination with both simplicity and depth. The shadows are so pervasive and all-encompassing that any objects of light stand out in stark glowing relief. The mysterious characters, the background and foreground dancing in concert with each other, the hidden symbols, and the surreal-ness of it all invites the viewer to not just witness, but to imagine and to play with what they’re seeing.

Enjoy meeting Toni in an exclusive interview with Ithraeyat, and we find out the story behind these beautiful creations.

The artist Toni Demuro.

Q1. What does “imagination” mean to you?

Imagination is a window on the possible, it transforms silence into images, and it gives voice to interior landscapes. When I draw, I do not try to reproduce reality, but to evoke an emotion, a dream, a memory that belongs to everyone.

Q2. Tell us about your journey with art?

I began to express myself with art since I was a child: at the age of six I received a canvas and oil colors. My first painting was a parrot in the forest. I studied pictorial decoration at the Art Institute and then painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sassari, my hometown. In 2000 I opened an artistic ceramics laboratory, an experience that enriched my relationship with matter and color. Only in 2010 did I begin to dedicate myself to illustration: thanks to a blog and social networks I was able to show my work and make myself known, starting a new chapter in my artistic journey.

Q3. What does art mean to you?

For me, art is an intimate language, the most direct way I have to tell what I see and feel. It is observation, but also interpretation: a way to stop time, give shape to thoughts and inhabit emotions. It is not only technique, it is also attention, silence, gaze. It is part of my way of being in the world.

‘I have a light,’ by Toni Demuro. 2025, digital art, courtesy of the artist.

Q4. You have a very unique style; what inspires you and who are your role models?

Inspiration often comes from what surrounds me: nature, literature, music. I am struck by the atmospheres, the silences, the details that tell more than words. Among my role models are artists such as René Magritte, Lorenzo Mattotti, Jean-Michel Folon. I always try to build images that have their own voice, suspended and recognizable, that can touch something deeply.

‘La cura,’ by Toni Demuro. 2025, digital art, courtesy of the artist.

Q5. Does the main shadow character represent anything specific?

The character that appears in my illustrations is a silent and discreet presence, invisible to people's eyes. He represents a guardian of nature: he walks slowly through woods, hills and rivers without ever causing harm. Indeed, his figure seems to merge with the landscape, as if he were part of it, and he carefully watches over both the environment and those who cross it. He is not a threat, but a protective presence that recalls the importance of balance and respect between man and nature. In a world that runs fast and often ignores what surrounds it, this giant invites us to slow down, to look carefully and to take care.

Q6. How would you describe your art?

I would describe my art as a meeting between reality and dream, a way to explore the boundary between what we see and what we feel. I try to create images that tell silent stories, made of details and suspended atmospheres. My work comes from the careful observation of nature and introspection, and develops through a simple but evocative visual language.