Vhils

Vhils is the alias of Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, famed for his monumental murals of everyday heroes. In cities around the world, you can find his gorgeously textured portraits chiselled into walls and buildings at a colossal scale. The magic of the murals lies in their juxtaposition – while Vhils creates them through abrasive, almost violent processes like drilling, chiselling and sometimes even blowing things up, the final images are detailed, tender and poetic. The portraits spotlight a different, more human side of history – a history of people, places and their everyday lives rather than grand gestures, famous names and power. Over the past decade, Vhils has also translated his public art into art for galleries and museums. Using a vast range of materials from the urban environment, like concrete, brick and metal, he captures the nonstop aliveness of the city. 

Growing up in Lisbon in the 1990s had a huge impact on the development of Vhils' practice. As a child, he was enamoured with old murals from the 1974 Carnation Revolution dotted throughout the city. As Vhils grew up and changed, so did his hometown. Portugal developed economically, and Vhils watched his beloved revolutionary icons become advertising billboards. Then, as the billboards peeled and decayed, he saw another layer of time make its mark on the city. Vhils uses the same logic in his work. He adds his own layer of history to the city walls – each artwork an ever-evolving monument to the inevitable cycle of change.