VHILS

Portugal

Vhils’ art is poetic, complex, and ambitious. He penetrates through countless layers of posters, dirt, and plaster to set free the poetic images hidden beneath urban spaces. This is all done by drilling away old plaster relief forms.

Alexandre Farto (Also known as Vhils) was born in 1987 in Portugal. He grew up in the outskirts of Lisbon. He studied at the University of the Arts in London, Central Saint Martins, and Byam Shaw Fine Art Skills and Practices. He was raised in Portugal, during a period that was deeply affected by the revolution at the time. It was then that he witnessed much destruction and the effects of the war on the walls. The Carnation Revolution of 1974 affected the outskirts of Lisbon and other parts of Portugal.

Vhils gained prominence when carved portrait was revealed alongside street artist Banksy at the Cans Festival in London in 2008. Later, Banksy’s agent, Steve Lazarides, gave him additional space to create his street art carvings. Soon after several of his works were published.

One of Vhils most popular forms of media is his relief portrait. These portraits are chiseled into plaster and brick walls all over the world. He also creates by dissecting poster ads and excavating walls. Other forms of media include collage, wheat paste, wood, metal, installations, and more. Last but not least, Alexandre Farto is known for using etching acid, bleach, pneumatic drills, and other processes or street art tools to reveal a wall’s layers.

Vhils’ technique and tools evolves as his work progresses. He enjoys the suspense of not knowing what patterns and images await in the layers beneath. The final layer product on the surface is his key concept. He currently works with photographs taken by himself or his team. A typical Vhils rendering originates in a sketchbook before it is digitized on a computer. He breaks most of his portraits into three colors, and these colors help provide depth – similar to a stencil. Finally, Alexandre Farto begins his carving process with chisels, hammers, drills, etching acid, bleach, and other tools.

This man believes that destruction is a form of construction. You read that right. As crazy as it sounds he has found a very impressive method and that is by etching, scratching, carving and even exploding walls! Of course, much graffiti can be labeled destructive, but his work is truly pushing the boundaries. He believes change is necessary to communicate with the mass public, and this includes society.

Vhils currently lives and works in London and Lisbon.

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