From his graduation until 1976, Tomás Sánchez remained at the National School of Art as a professor and Head of the Engraving Chair; In 1975 he won the First Prize in Painting and the First Prize in Lithography at the III National Salon of Professors and Instructors of Plastic Arts in Havana. He joined the Doll Workshop of the Theater Directorate of the Ministry of Culture with the appointment of set and doll designer for Children's Theater; He also joined the UNESCO Puppet Group, which introduced him, until 1978, into a completely different universe from that of his work up to that point.

In 1980 he participated in the 19th Edition of the Joan Miró International Drawing Prize, which was awarded to him for his work Desde las Aguas Blancas and thus began his meteoric international career. The following year he exhibited at the Joan Miró Foundation, Center de’Estudis d’Art Contemporani in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Other important recognitions in his career are: National Painting Award. I Havana Biennial in 1984; Medal from the V Biennial of American Graphic Art, Cali, Colombia, 1986 and Honorable Mention. I International Painting Biennial, Cuenca, Ecuador in 1987.

His work has been exhibited individually and collectively in more than 30 countries. Among his most significant personal exhibitions are: Tomás Sánchez. Retrospective at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba in 1985; Tomas Sanchez. Different Worlds at the Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, in 1996 and the celebration of its 60th anniversary in May 2008 with a major retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Monterrey, Mexico.