When it comes to artists, Vhils doesn’t just make art. Instead, he peels layers of paint off walls and carves massive portraits into concrete and plaster. His Scratching the Surface murals feel alive, full of stories, and connected to the cities they live in.
It’s not your typical street art. It’s raw and emotional and full of surprises. Vhils works with chisels, drills, and occasionally explosives, transforming forgotten walls into faces celebrating everyday people. So who is Vhils, how does his art function, and what makes his murals so special?
Who Was Vhils?
Meet the man behind the art. Alexandre Farto, better known as Vhils, was born to Portuguese parents in Lisbon in 1987. Like many teens, he started with graffiti, painting walls late at night. Instead of sticking to spray cans, he began to scratch walls, as opposed to painting them.
He grew up to become one of the most original artists of our time. But his work isn’t only about making something beautiful; it’s about getting the stories from the walls. Though he’s now globally traveled, he spread his art over the world from Lisbon to Paris, New York, and Hong Kong throughout several years.
FUN FACT: Vhils got the idea for his carving technique while watching workers demolish walls with hammers in Lisbon. Instead of seeing destruction, he saw potential for creation—and that’s how his unique style was born!
His Career
With his Scratching the Surface series, Vhils became famous. He carves faces into walls using drills, chisels, and even explosives. His portraits are not just random people, but the emotions, and the histories behind each city.
Vhils has also experimented with other materials like wood, metal, and paper. But no matter the medium, his focus is always the same: connecting people to their environment.
What’s Happening in Scratching the Surface Murals?
| Artist | Vhils (Alexandre Farto) |
| Date Created | Ongoing series, starting in the mid-2000s |
| Medium | Carved walls (plaster, concrete, brick) |
| Genre | Street Art |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Dimensions | Varies, often several meters tall |
| Series / Versions | Multiple murals worldwide, each unique |
| Where is it housed? | Public spaces globally (Lisbon, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, etc.) |
Picture a massive face chiseled into a wall and someone walking right on by. It’s not painted or drawn, it’s sculpted into the building itself. That is what Vhils achieves with his Scratching the Surface murals.
These murals are not merely beautiful. They’re full of meaning. They each belong to someone from the community, such as a local shopkeeper or a passerby. By putting them on display for the world to see, Vhils captures their stories and celebrates their lives.
His process is unique. First, he carefully takes off layers of plaster, concrete, and paint. He peels back the history of a building with each scrape, each one revealing something new just like unpeeling that old potato.
What’s So Special About Scratching the Surface Murals?
What makes Vhils’s murals so special is that they’re so different from traditional street art. Whereas most artists add paint or color to walls, Vhils removes what’s already there. His work is like an act of excavation, uncovering these hidden stories.
The faces he carves stick in your memory. They are not celebrities or famous figures but ordinary people who represent the city’s spirit. By turning them into massive portraits, he’s saying, “These lives matter. These stories matter.”
The other thing that sets his murals apart is their impermanence. They fall, crack and blend back into the city. This natural aging gives them beauty and reminds us that nothing is permanent.
Interesting Facts About Scratching the Surface Murals
Explosives? Really? Sometimes Vhils uses controlled explosions to create his murals. Yes, he blows up walls to make art!
Faces of the City: The faces he carves are often residents. They represent the heart and soul of the community.
Art Around the World: His murals can be found in cities like Lisbon, Paris, Hong Kong, and New York. Each one reflects the spirit of its location.
Eco-Friendly Art: By working with old walls and using existing materials, Vhils’s process is sustainable and environmentally conscious.
Time Adds Beauty: His murals change, weathering naturally with the buildings they’re part of. It’s a poetic reminder of how life and art evolve.
Artwork Spotlight: Peroxide
Peroxide by Vhils is available on Singulart. This artwork is a brilliant example of his layered technique. It plays with textures and emotions, showing what’s hidden beneath the surface.
Are you looking for a piece of artwork from Vhils?
Singulart has limited edition prints of Vhils. If you are looking for a piece of Vhils‘ artwork for sale, simply click on the artwork or the button below to discover more!
FAQs
1. What inspires Vhils’ unique carving technique?
Vhils is inspired by his love for urban environments. He grew up in Lisbon, where graffiti, posters, and weathered city walls led him to wonder what other walls could be made of.
2. How does Vhils decide on the faces he carves?
His subjects are often real people, common faces not celebrities, and he uses real people’s faces. The portraits he paints reflect the empathy and willpower of regular people.
Conclusion
Vhils shows us that art can be more than just decoration, it can be a connection. His Scratching the Surface murals bring life to forgotten spaces and remind us of the stories hidden in everyday places.
Each mural feels personal, almost like the wall is sharing its memories with you. The raw textures, the faces, and the natural decay all come together to create something deeply emotional.
So next time you see a Vhils mural—whether it’s in Lisbon, Paris, or Hong Kong—take a moment to really look. Let it remind you that every face, every wall, and every story has value.
