Scratching the Surface Project

Coining his signature style in 2007, VHILS (Alexandre Farto) uses dynamite and a chisel to create his paintless-portraits. In the decade prior, he was a prolific graffiti writer. The bas-relief portraiture he now creates across the globe is a visually arresting form of poetry. By digging through layers of concrete, cement and other building materials, VHILS exposes the old wounds of a wall and transforms them into something beautiful – a unique method which has carved VHILS a permanent place of his own in contemporary art.

In this piece from 2010, you can see the artist begin to refine his technique as he learns from the walls he works with. Comparing this early work with the future pieces he created for Nuart, one in 2011 and a further portrait from 2013, creates an interesting visual timeline in VHILS’ progression.