Presentation

Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto (1987) has been interacting visually with the urban environment under the name of Vhils since his days as a prolific graffiti writer in the early 2000s.

His groundbreaking carving technique – which forms the basis of the Scratching the Surface series and was first presented to the public at the VSP group show in Lisbon in 2007 and at the Cans Festival in London in 2008 –, has been hailed as one of the most compelling approaches to art created in the street in the last decade.

This striking form of visual poetry, showcased around the world in both indoor and outdoor settings, has been described as brutal and complex, yet imbued with a simplicity that speaks to the core of human emotions, expressing the struggle between the aspirations of the individual and the demanding, saturated environment of the urban spaces he lives in, highlighting and exposing the sombre dimension that lies behind the current model of development and the material aspirations it encompasses – unsustainable, yet inebriating.

Vhils grew up in Seixal, an industrialised suburb across the river from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and was particularly influenced by the transformations brought on by the intensive urban development the country underwent in the 1980s and 1990s.

An avid experimentalist, he has been developing his notion of the aesthetics of vandalism in a plurality of media – from stencil painting to wall carving, from pyrotechnic explosions to 3D modelling – which have enabled him to expand the boundaries of visual expression.

His unique approach and artwork have been garnering critical acclaim around the world.

Find this artist and many more in our collection of works by famous street artists.


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All artworks of Vhils

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Print

Sculpture

Print, Mist, Vhils

Mist

Vhils

Print - 42 x 29.7 cm

€1,090

Sculpture, Composed, Vhils

Composed

Vhils

Sculpture - 43 x 55 x 1 cm

€11,200

Print, Relic, Vhils

Relic

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm

€1,890

Print, Sight, Vhils

Sight

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

€1,350

Print, Taciturn, Vhils

Taciturn

Vhils

Print - 69.2 x 48.9 cm

€2,354 €1,766

Print, Purpose, Vhils

Purpose

Vhils

Print - 42 x 29.7 cm

€990

Print, Server 01, Vhils

Server 01

Vhils

Print - 100 x 70 x 2 cm

€7,800

Print, Glance, Vhils

Glance

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm

€1,690

Print, Bleach, Vhils

Bleach

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm

€1,590

Print, Glance, Vhils

Glance

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

€1,100

Print, Dusk, Vhils

Dusk

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

€1,400

Print, Impression, Vhils

Impression

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

€1,500 €1,350

Print, Emerge II, Vhils

Emerge II

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

€1,200

Print, Glance (First Edition), Vhils

Glance (First Edition)

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.5 cm

€1,800

Print, Débris, Vhils

Débris

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 1 cm

€1,800

Print, Emerge II, Vhils

Emerge II

Vhils

Print - 70 x 52 x 1 cm

€1,820

Print, Triumph (with PichiAvo), Vhils

Triumph (with PichiAvo)

Vhils

Print - 100 x 70 cm

€1,900

Print, Periferia uniforma, Vhils

Periferia uniforma

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.5 cm

€900

Sculpture, Sans titre, Vhils

Sans titre

Vhils

Sculpture - 218 x 84 x 5 cm

€28,000

Print, Server 02, Vhils

Server 02

Vhils

Print - 100 x 70 x 2 cm

€12,000

Print, Skull / Morphed, Vhils

Skull / Morphed

Vhils

Print - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm

€3,000

Print, Visual agnosia xl 04, Vhils

Visual agnosia xl 04

Vhils

Print - 132 x 92 x 2 cm

€15,000

Print, Oxymoron, Vhils

Oxymoron

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

Sold

Print, Predominate, Vhils

Predominate

Vhils

Print - 50 x 70 cm

Sold

Print, Substrata, Vhils

Substrata

Vhils

Print - 100 x 80 cm

Sold

Print, Drip, Vhils

Drip

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

Sold

Print, Deplete, Vhils

Deplete

Vhils

Print - 42 x 30 x 0.2 cm

Sold

Print, Oxymoron, Vhils

Oxymoron

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm

Sold

Print, Pentimento (Special Edition), Vhils

Pentimento (Special Edition)

Vhils

Print - 37.2 x 25.2 x 7.5 cm

Sold

Print, Core, Vhils

Core

Vhils

Print - 50 x 70 x 0.2 cm

Sold

Print, Scratching the surface, Vhils

Scratching the surface

Vhils

Print - 90 x 60 cm

Sold

Print, Impression, Vhils

Impression

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

Sold

Print, Subsume #1, Vhils

Subsume #1

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 x 2 cm

Sold

Print, Drip, Vhils

Drip

Vhils

Print - 70 x 50 cm

Sold

Sculpture, Decrease 04, Vhils

Decrease 04

Vhils

Sculpture - 196 x 120 x 2 cm

Sold

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Who is the artist?

Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto (1987) has been interacting visually with the urban environment under the name of Vhils since his days as a prolific graffiti writer in the early 2000s.

His groundbreaking carving technique – which forms the basis of the Scratching the Surface series and was first presented to the public at the VSP group show in Lisbon in 2007 and at the Cans Festival in London in 2008 –, has been hailed as one of the most compelling approaches to art created in the street in the last decade.

This striking form of visual poetry, showcased around the world in both indoor and outdoor settings, has been described as brutal and complex, yet imbued with a simplicity that speaks to the core of human emotions, expressing the struggle between the aspirations of the individual and the demanding, saturated environment of the urban spaces he lives in, highlighting and exposing the sombre dimension that lies behind the current model of development and the material aspirations it encompasses – unsustainable, yet inebriating.

Vhils grew up in Seixal, an industrialised suburb across the river from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and was particularly influenced by the transformations brought on by the intensive urban development the country underwent in the 1980s and 1990s.

An avid experimentalist, he has been developing his notion of the aesthetics of vandalism in a plurality of media – from stencil painting to wall carving, from pyrotechnic explosions to 3D modelling – which have enabled him to expand the boundaries of visual expression.

His unique approach and artwork have been garnering critical acclaim around the world.

Find this artist and many more in our collection of works by famous street artists.

What are their 3 main works?

What is Vhils’s artistic movement?

The artistic movements of the artists are: Famous Street Artists, Figurative Street Artists

When was Vhils born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1987