Artist
Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, known as Vhils, began his artistic practice as a graffiti writer in the early 2000s. Deeply influenced by the urban transformations surrounding Lisbon and its industrial suburbs, his work explores the impact of urban development, globalization, and uniformity on landscapes and human identity.
Through his distinctive approach of “creative destruction,” Vhils carves, drills, cuts, and etches into surfaces to reveal hidden layers, memories, and stories embedded within materials. His groundbreaking wall-carving technique, first presented publicly in Lisbon in 2007 and later at the Cans Festival in London, has become one of the most recognized forms of contemporary urban art.
Working across mediums including bas-relief carving, metal etching, sculpture, installation, video, and digital art, Vhils creates powerful visual statements that reflect on identity, contemporary urban life, cultural erosion, and resistance. His work combines raw intensity with poetic simplicity, transforming discarded urban materials into expressive artworks.
Vhils’ work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Palais de Tokyo, Barbican Centre, and Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, among others.
