facebook
Close
Ver modo lectura
Vhils and his best murals around the world

Courtesy: Archive/Vhils

Street Art Art
14 Nov 19

Vhils and his best murals around the world

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

To understand Vhils’s work and the context in which his pieces are created, we leave you a brief profile of his trajectory

Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto is the artist’s real name; Vhils and the art he creates under this pen name is a conceptual system founded on humanism.

Vhils and his best work around the world
Courtesy: portugalinews

Any type of surface can be the perfect canvas for the Portuguese artist. The concept on which his work is based is interesting because it’s from destruction that he manages to create pieces of high aesthetic value. In addition, he just needs a chisel and a drill to achieve these artworks.


He portrays reality through his art

However, understanding Vhils’ poetic work requires a leap in time. We need to go back to 1974 when the War of The Claveles caused great damage to the political, social and economic life in Portugal. He witnessed the effects of this conflict as a kid; the walls reflected the destruction. That was the starting point.

Vhils smaller format pieces
Courtesy: Vhils

He studied at the University of the Arts in London, Central Saint Martins, and Byam Shaw Fine Art Skills and Practices. But it was in 2008 that Vhils caught the world’s eye by collaborating on a smaller-format mural at the Cans Festival in London.

Vhils and his best pieces around the world
Courtesy: Flickr

The pieces were made in Leake Street below Waterloo Station, one next to the other. Vhils’ is the portrait of an elderly woman. What’s interesting is that Banksy sent a message to a select group of about 40 like-minded international street artists.


Vhils creates portraits to make marginalized people more visible…

The most notable feature of his work is that he always creates embossed portraits, as it is a way of making the more marginalized and underserving more visible. Like the Ethereal mural he made at Goldman Global Arts in Miami.

Vhils and his best murals around the world
Courtesy: Instagram/@vhils

His creative process begins when he takes a camera and takes to the streets to portray reality through them. From these images, he makes sketches that he then digitizes. He immediately gathers his materials: engraving acid, bleach, pneumatic drills, and other processes or tools.

Other techniques he applies are collage, wheat paste, wood, metal, installations and more. In the composition of his pieces, we can see three colors, which help to provide depth, similar to a stencil. An example of this is this mural at the Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok that pays homage to the surrounding population.

Vhils's Mural in Bangkok
Courtesy: Instagram/vhils

One of the artist’s most impressive pieces was the one he made for the Debris festival in Hong Kong. It was a single show in 2016, which consisted of large scale pieces presented by the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation (HOCA).

Vhils and his best murals around the world
Courtesy: Instagram/vhils

Iconic sites were selected in Hong Kong, such as a tram and ferry dock, and various spaces on the streets to showcase his works. Best of all, it was shaped by portraits, juxtapositions, and graphic imbrications and geometric elements. There were also pieces illuminated by neon lights.


We are all composed of layer of social and historical fabric….

Alexandre Farto believes that we are all composed of layers on layers of social and historical fabric. This whole concept is very symbolic and he seeks to capture it in any festival. Vhils also values the idea of turning ordinary people into icons. He often captures portraits of the elderly, for they are bearers of wisdom.

vhils y sus mejores piezas ene el mundo five

At the Unexpected Street Art Festival, curated by JustKids, the artist created a large scale mural that captures a portrait of a Native American Cherokee. The piece denotes a great ability to create 2D pieces, as well as a mastery of light and shadows.

In 2012, the artist arrived in Mexico City to participate in the All City Canvas Festival. It was four days of work where Vhils recaptured the humanity of its inhabitants. Hammers, chisels, and drills were enough to create the portrait of an adult woman in the Dolores Building, in Juarez 26, in the Centro neighborhood.

Vhils Mural in Mexico City
Courtesy: Streetartnews


Exhibitions

The work of the Portuguese artist has also reached art galleries. One of the most memorable exhibitions was at Galerie Danyszin Shanghai, China. The artist mounted a series of portraits on the ground, inspired by his visits to Beijing and Shanghai.

Best of Alexandre Farto
Courtesy: José Pando Lucas

In fact, in addition to this exhibition, a short film was released Realm in Shanghai.. Directed by José Pando Lucas who worked hand in hand with the Portuguese artist. In this sense, the works portray the essence of the inhabitants of these cities. Without neglecting Vhils’ impressive ability to create credible faces.

He also arrived in France with his urbains and débris fragments samples. In them, he raised “problems related to and reflecting on the dominant model of globalized development and the nature of contemporary urban societies.”

Vhils's exhibition in France
Courtesy: Magda Danysz

To do this, he took walls, billboards, doors and other surfaces on which he painted portraits that symbolically represent the replacement of the new with the old as a metaphor for urbanization and globalization.


Collaborative walls

He has also collaborated with other artists. This is the case of the mural he made next to Shepard Fairey, a.k.a Obey, at Mack Sennett Studios in Silver Lake (with the support of Branded Arts).

Collaborative mural with OBEY
Courtesy: Jon Furlong

Another cool piece was the one he made with Pixel Pancho in Lisbon. The Italian artist collaborated thanks to the invitation by UnderDogs in a piece that combines his robotic-surreal style with Vhils’ beautiful “destruction.” The piece is a portrait of a man (the face made by Vhils), holding a ship in his hand.

The best of Vhils around the world
Courtesy: Miguel Vinagre/Reddit


Vhils and JR: what a great duo!

In 2010 he also had the opportunity to collaborate with JR on a mural portraying the portrait of an older man holding his head on one hand and the other on his face, which Vhils created, while the arms and torso were made by the French artist.

Vhils's Mural in Bangkok
Courtesy: Instagram/vhils

As if that weren’t enough, he was the Portuguese artist invited by the Irish band U2 to join the group of 11 most acclaimed urban artists in their Films Of Innocence project. In this sense, Vhils created all the visual language for the song.

Finally, Vhils says: “I like the idea of working with the city as a raw material, with the aim of exposing the fragility of what we take for granted that it is indestructible and immutable. My goal in using the urban environment itself is to create a part of the work and involve all the people who live in that same space.

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

https://www.allcitycanvas.com/en/author/fernandohcruz/
escrito por Fernando Huacuz
Ciudad de México, 1988- En búsqueda constante de urdimbres visuales y narrativas en espacios públicos y privados. Arte, cultura y rocksteady un must.
Art Madrid 2020 presents its program
Art Exhibitions
24 Feb 20

Art Madrid 2020 presents its program

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)The best in video art, new media and action art in this edition of Art Madrid 2020 The activities of Art Madrid 2020 have officially started. If you plan to fly to the Motherland, or you’re already there, we give you tips on what to see at the […]
Odeith and his realistic 3D muralism
Street Art Editors' Picks en grafiiti
22 Aug 19

Odeith and his realistic 3D muralism

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)We give you a short list of the best Odeith murals so far this year A few days ago, urban artist Odeith became even more popular on social media thanks to an intervention. In this he made a destroyed bus with his already well-known realistic 3D technique, breaking […]
All City Canvas festival: The Short-Film of the first edition
ACC Network Festivals
20 Oct 14

All City Canvas festival: The Short-Film of the first edition

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)The first street art festival by All City Canvas was inaugurated in April 2012 All City Canvas is considered one of the best international urban art festivals. The project, created by ARTO, MAMUTT and the Museo del Juguete Antiguo, was inaugurated in April 2012. 8 internationally renowned artists […]
Alice in Wonderland illustrations by Salvador Dalí
Art Blog Books
7 Mar 19

Alice in Wonderland illustrations by Salvador Dalí

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)Alice in Wonderland illustrations by Salvador Dalí show his connection to Lewis Carroll Salvador Dalí’s Alice in Wonderland illustrations were published in an extraordinary new edition of the classic. Princeton University Press released a new edition to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s iconic novel, which the […]
Heikala, the mythical nature of watercolor
Art
19 Jun 20

Heikala, the mythical nature of watercolor

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)Mythology, nature and innocence in Heikala’s illustrations and paintings Heikala is a watercolor and mixed painting artist originally from Finland with a very friendly style for all. His work ranges from the coexistence of mythical creatures, nature, to the mythology of his birthplace. Heikala’s studies were in graphic […]
Hot news
CONTEMPORARY ART NOW LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EDITION WITH A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Art Festivals
12 Jul 22

CONTEMPORARY ART NOW LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EDITION WITH A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY ART

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)Renowned and emerging artists will participate in the first edition of CAN Contemporary Art Now The city of Ibiza will be filled with art from July 13 to 17 with the launch of the first edition of Contemporary Art Now or CAN. It is a contemporary art fair […]
SAID DOKINS REVEALED HIS NEW MURAL THE MAGIC SQUARE IN DOHA
Street Art
12 Jul 22

SAID DOKINS REVEALED HIS NEW MURAL THE MAGIC SQUARE IN DOHA

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)The Magic Square by Said Dokins is part of the international festival POW! WOW! Qatar Museums has commissioned a series of urban interventions by local and international artists, and among them is the Mexican Said Dokins, who has just completed his new piece entitled The Magic Square. It […]
MADEME, THE STREETWEAR BRAND RETURNS AFTER TWO YEARS OF ABSENCE
ACC Network Streetwear
8 Jul 22

MADEME, THE STREETWEAR BRAND RETURNS AFTER TWO YEARS OF ABSENCE

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)MadeMe is officially back to give doses of streetwear to all lovers of urban fashion! Cult streetwear designer Erin Magee returns with her signature MadeMe after two years without showing any signs of life. The official return was announced in a post on the brand’s Instagram account where […]
SAILOR MOON AND VANS: A VERY STELLAR COLLECTION
ACC Network Sneakers Streetwear
21 Jun 22

SAILOR MOON AND VANS: A VERY STELLAR COLLECTION

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)Attention anime fans! Sailor Moon and Vans just released this collection as a homage to the moon If you’ve not seen at least one episode of Sailor Moon in your childhood, you did not have a real childhood! And for all those anime fans, this Vans collection will […]
QUANTUM SPACE: JUSTIN AVERSANO’S PHYSICAL NFT GALLERY
Art
20 Jun 22

QUANTUM SPACE: JUSTIN AVERSANO’S PHYSICAL NFT GALLERY

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)In Quantum Space other NFT artists will be able to exhibit and sell their works The iconic Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California has become the site of NFT photographer Justin Aversano’s new project called Quantum Space. Said venue is the latest in a growing trend of […]
DR. BOMBAY’S SWEET EXPLORATION, SNOOP DOGG’S NFT DESSERTS
Food
20 Jun 22

DR. BOMBAY’S SWEET EXPLORATION, SNOOP DOGG’S NFT DESSERTS

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)And it is a fact! Snoop Dogg will open his NFT’s dessert restaurant, Dr. Bombay’s Sweet Exploration Snoop Dogg and Food Fighters Universe announced the launch of a dessert restaurant called Dr. Bombay’s Sweet Exploration, inspired by the rapper’s NFT from the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. NFTs […]