Scratching the Surface to Spur a Movement

Urban street artist Vhils is at it again! We saw his latest work on the streets of Russia and, this time, he's left his mark in Berlin, Germany. Alexandre Farto is the actual name of this highly talented Portuguese street artist. His work is poetic and complex, often focusing on the needs we have abandoned in favor of our wants.

“In the late 1990s I got into graffiti and took to the streets and trains, this became my artistic background,” shares Vhils. “Graffiti was a language that enabled me to express and explore many things, and eventually enabled me to observe and portray the complexities of the urban environment, as I see them.”

Why focus on destruction? “I try focusing on the act of destruction to create; this is a notion I first came across in graffiti, and it has been very influential in my work. I believe we are all formed of different sets of layers: personal, social, cultural, historical and so on.”

We love how he's incorporating powerful words...