Thomas Barbèy grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, across the street from the “Caran D'ache” factory, the largest manufacturer of art supplies. He started drawing seriously at the age of 13, using black “encre de Chine” and gouaches for color. His influences were Philippe Druillet, Roger Dean and H.R. Giger. After living in Geneva for 17 years and designing posters for musical bands, he decided to move to Italy, where he lived in Milan for 15 years making a living as a successful recording artist, lyricist and fashion photographer.

A murmuration of starlings above the the small village of Rigg, near Gretna, in the Scottish Borders, on November 25, 2013. The weight of the resting birds on power lines caused some power localised power outages in the village. Still one of the commonest of garden birds, its decline elsewhere puts it on the Red List of endangered species. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

A villager watches as Mount Sinabung volcano erupts, in Kuta Tengah village, Karo Regency in Indonesia's North Sumatra April 1, 2015. The Indonesian volcano was dormant for 400 years before erupting in 2010. (Photo by Y. T. Haryono/Reuters)

People view live owls at, Owl's Forest which is located on the bottom floor of a building along a bustling street in the Harajuku area on Friday November 04, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. Visitors can pet owls at the business. It is located next to one of Tokyo's many cat cafes. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

A Hindu devotee wearing a t-shirt printed with a portrait of Lord Shiva takes a holy dip while participating in the “Bol Bom” pilgrimage in Kathmandu August 10, 2015. The faithful, chanting the name of Lord Shiva, run about 15 km (9 miles) barefooted toward Pashupatinath temple seeking good health, wealth and happiness. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

A model walks the runway at the Agatha Ruiz de La Prada show during the Mercedes-Benz Madrid Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017 at Ifema on February 17, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images)

A dancer dressed for the annual procession honoring San Pedro, his town's patron saint, runs through the street of San Pedro Sacatepequez near Guatemala City June 29, 2016. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Reuters)

Zhao Deli waves as he pilots his self-made “flying scooter” in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, 12 August 2018 (issued 16 August 2018). Inspired by a cartoon he watched as a child, Zhao Deli sold off his apartment in pursuit of his dream of building a flying scooter. (Photo by Aleksandar Plavevski/EPA/EFE)