lazarides shows vhils aka alexandre farto

installation at the ‘scratching the surface’ image © designboom

the first UK solo show from vhils, aka alexandre farto, features a series of new works influenced by his native city of lisbon at a time of revolution.

entitled ‘scratching the surface’, the exhibition reflects on revolution as a time when walls turn into instruments of communication and hope for the masses, and the remnants of which become a decaying playground for this young artist as he searches for his place and identity.

by re-contextualising the urban setting, vhils explores and questions the many dimensions of cities and their inhabitants in a series of playful works. focusing on the people that inhabit the artist’s multicultural environment vhils draws attention to the layers that underlie it. a set of portraits of unknown faces use unconventional techniques and materials; acid and bleach eat into surfaces to expose the layers beneath, the act of destruction becoming an act of creation, posters that exemplify a consumer society are subtly converted into objects poignantly celebrating humankind.

in his street work he discards posters, metal and paper and comes face to face with the rawness of the naked wall. he continues his celebration of the humanity underlying the urban canvas, this time by scratching beautiful portraits directly onto its walls. ‘scratching the surface’ will run until 1st of august at lazarides, london.

‘scratching the surface’ image © designboom

installation in ‘scratching the surface’ exhibition image © designboom

installation in ‘scratching the surface’ exhibition image © designboom

view of the exhibition image © designboom

glimpse of a fading moment 2 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 100 cm x 135 cm image © designboom

everything is ephemeral 3 collected posters from the streets, acrylic 180 cm x 127 cm image © designboom

to have or to be 12 collected billboards, acrylic and spray paint, framed 150 x 202 cm image © designboom

detail image © designboom

portraits on the columns on the ground floor of the gallery image © designboom

a portrait on the column at the gallery image © designboom

detail image © designboom

a portrait on the column at the gallery image © designboom

fragments from scratching the surface of the column image © designboomeverything is ephemeral 4 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed 125 cm x 170 cm image © designboom

to have or to be 8 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed 107 cm x 110 cm (unframed) image © designboom

to have or to be 8 image © designboom

to have or to be 11 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 120 cm x 110 cm image © designboom

everything is ephemeral 5 collected billboard posters and acrylic, framed 143 cm x 207 cm image © designboom

glimpse of a fading moment 4 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed 110 cm x 140 cm (unframed) image © designboom

to have or to be 10 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 95 cm x 130 cm image © designboom

everything is ephemeral 1 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 180 cm x 127 cm x 35 cm image © designboom

glimpse of a fading moment 1 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 92 cm x 142 cm image © designboom

to have or to be 3 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 200 cm x 150 cm image © designboom

to have or to be 9 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed 110 cm x 130 cm (unframed) image © designboom

beauty is skin deep, ugly lies the bone; beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own found objects, mixed media 250 cm x 200 cm image © designboombeauty is skin deep, ugly lies the bone; beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own image © designboom

detail image © designboom

disintegration series image © designboom

disintegration 1 acid and varnish on steel 60 cm x 77 cm image © designboom

disintegration 2 acid and varnish on steel 60 cm x 77 cm image © designboom

disintegration 2 image © designboom

disintegration 3 acid and varnish on steel 60 cm x 77 cm image © designboom

destroy to create 1 [‘destruir para criar’] found objects, mixed media 180 cm x 100 cm image © designboom

to have or to be 5 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 200 cm x 150 cm image © designboom

glimpse of a fading moment 3 collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin 70 cm x 125 cm image © designboom

destroy to create 2 [‘destruir para criar’] found objects, mixed media 75 cm x 45 cm image © designboom

destroy to create 3 [‘destruir para criar’] found wooden board, mixed media 84 cm x 112 cm image © designboom

destroy to create 3 [‘destruir para criar’] image © designboom

view the making of ‘scratching the surface’ here