Some art requires paint, sand, sugar and all sorts of other weird and wonderful building materials. But there are some works of art that are not made by making something, they are made by taking something away. This is the style Alexandre Farto aka ‘Vhils’ has chosen. The style of painting and chiselling an otherwise negative space to create his portrait works of art, makes the mundane, beautiful again…
Vhils X Cyrcle colab, Hong Kong
10 – The Rise and Fall – vhils.com
Not only are the portraits amazing, but for me it was the pure clarity of the letters as it really shows how accurate the artist has to be in order to make the lines that straight. Add to that the detail is amazing anyway.
Dissolve, Sydney, Australia
9 – Split Personality – vhils.com
Once again this amazing work of art is done by chiselling into the wall, but this one is slightly different that the rest. This one is in fact on 2 levels, seen by an anamorphic style (you have to stand in the right place to see it) it is a flawless attempt to do a style not normally done by the artist.
Le 4ème Mur Festival, Niort, France
8 – From the darkness comes beauty – vhils.com
This impressive portrait of an old lady is done via the dirty old wall of what looks like a very old building. But that is the beauty of this artist work. Making something so amazing from something so dark and gloomy is a very good talent to have, that is for sure.
All City Canvas Festival, Mexico City, Mexico
7 – City Scape – vhils.com
This work of art really does show just how big some of these portraits are. Done in the urban style it makes the otherwise ugly wall that is showing because the building next to it has been demolished, and it make it beautiful, worth seeing and something to smile about other than simply ignore.
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Viva la Revolución group show, San Diego, USA
6 – Fantastic Female – vhils.com
The stunning detail in these portraits is what makes them so good. Using the depth of the chisel it creates colours and style that otherwise would have been imposable without the gentle touch on an artists hands on the wall.
Scratching the Surface
5 – Beginnings – vhils.com
What you see here is some of the artists earlier works. But yet even from some of the very first portraits, the details, depth and indeed emotions in the faces are all there. I have no idea how you first start looking at a decaying wall and see a blank canvas, but I wish I had half the skills to pull it off.
Milestone Project, Girona, Spain
4 – Memories – vhils.com
This art portrait, much like many of the others by this artist can be read in many different ways, all depending on who you are. So for me, this is an old man’s happy memories as a child seeping out of his mind. But someone else might well see it in an entirely different light.
London, UK
3 – London Life – vhils.com
This image perfectly shows the urban jungle style of the art, and the plane going overhead (presumably from Heathrow), and the dark Gray sky just finishes the whole effect off.
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Walk & Talk Festival 2012, Azores, Portugal
2 – Light from the dark – vhils.com
Now this is simple beautiful. Done on what looks like the side of a church is this portrait that when pictured in near darkness creates something that is sure to make you spot and stare if you saw it. Incredible beauty in just about every way.
Vhils & Pixelpancho collab in Lisbon
1 – The day after Tomorrow – vhils.com
With an almost Steampunk style to it this was one of the artists very best in my opinion. Using separate chips in the wall to portray the debris the effect is amazing. Plus being a fan of action style Armageddon movies I really like the boat being destroyed.