Biography

Alexandre Farto, known as Vhils is a Portuguese visual artist. Mostly known for his highly unorthodox mediums in art, he carves, drills, and blasts to expose the layers in materials. Vhils first began to acquaint himself with urban art through graffiti in the early 2000’s and has since developed to bring, quite literally, his art ‘to the surface’. Vhils has been experimenting with other types of media to further develop the aesthetics of his art, venturing into stencil painting, metal etching, pyrotechnic explosions and sculptural installations. He has also expanded his art by directing a number of music videos, short films, and a stage production.

Since 2005, he has presented his work in over 30 countries around the world in solo and group exhibitions, site-specific art interventions, artistic events and projects in various contexts – from working with communities in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, to collaborations with well-reputed artistic and museological institutions such as MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon (2022); Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati (2020); Le Centquatre-Paris, Paris (2018); CAFA Art Museum, Beijing (2017); Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, Hong Kong (2016); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2014); EDP Foundation, Lisbon (2014); and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego (2010), among others.

His work is represented in several public and private collections in various countries. Vhils has contributed his art in a 2015 Project M and his works were also featured in the URBAN NATION 2018 exhibition, ‘UN-DERSTAND The Power of Art as a Social Architect’.