VHILS (1987) - Layers (unique piece)

**VHILS – “LAYERS” 1/1**

This is not an edition — it is a unique, one-of-a-kind original artwork.

**LAYERS** is a unique physical artwork by Vhils, part of the artist’s exploration of layered surfaces and his distinctive approach to urban archaeology.

This is an **original 1/1 physical artwork**, produced by Vhils and released directly from the artist’s studio.

**Size:** 50 × 70 cm

In excellent condition, as received from Vhils’ studio (see pictures).

Stored flat in a non-smoking room.

Shipped with care, with tracking, insurance and signature, in its original packaging.

View feedback and bid with confidence!

### OVER DE KUNSTENAAR

Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto (b. 1987) has been interacting visually with the urban environment under the name of Vhils since his days as a prolific graffiti writer in the early-to-mid 2000s.

His groundbreaking bas-relief carving technique — which forms the basis of the **Scratching the Surface** project and was first presented to the public at the VSP group exhibition in Lisbon in 2007 and at the Cans Festival in London the following year — has been hailed as one of the most compelling approaches to art created in the streets in the last decade.

This striking form of visual poetry, showcased around the world in both indoor and outdoor settings, has been described as brutal and complex, yet imbued with a simplicity that speaks to the core of human emotions.

Vhils’ work explores themes such as identity, life in contemporary urban societies, cultural transformation and the erosion of individuality in an increasingly uniform global environment. His work speaks of effacement but also of resistance, of destruction yet also of beauty, exploring the connections and contrasts between global and local realities.

Vhils grew up in Seixal, an industrialised suburb across the river from Lisbon, and was deeply influenced by the transformations brought on by the intensive urban development Portugal underwent in the 1980s and 1990s. He was particularly inspired by the way city walls absorb the social and historical changes that take place around them.

Applying his original methods of creative destruction, Vhils digs into the surface layers of our material culture like a contemporary urban archaeologist, exposing what lies beyond the superficiality of things, making visible the invisible and restoring meaning and beauty to discarded dimensions buried beneath.

Since 2005, he has presented his work in over 30 countries around the world through solo and group exhibitions, site-specific interventions, artistic events and projects in a wide variety of contexts.

His work has been exhibited or presented in collaboration with renowned institutions including **MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (Lisbon), Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati), Le Centquatre-Paris, Centre Pompidou (Paris), CAFA Art Museum (Beijing), and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego**, among others.

An avid experimentalist, Vhils has developed his personal aesthetics across a wide range of media besides his signature carving technique, including stencil painting, metal etching, pyrotechnic explosions, video and sculptural installations. He has also directed several music videos, short films and stage productions.

His unique approach and artwork have garnered critical acclaim around the globe.

Vhils belongs to the same broad contemporary urban art movement as **Banksy, Invader, C215, Jef Aérosol, JR, Swoon, Shepard Fairey, Dran, Martin Whatson, D*Face, Sandra Chevrier, Fin DAC, Os Gêmeos, KAWS, Cranio, Escif, Seth, ROA, and Yoshitomo Nara**, among others.