Vhils

Street Artist Biography

Etching and Carving

Alexandre Farto (Also known as Vhils) was born in 1987 and raised in Portugal- which was deeply affected by the revolution at the time. It was then that he witnessed much destruction and the effects of the war on the walls.

Explosives, projectiles, and demolition- sounds like scenes from the civil war of a third world country. Truth is, Alexandre Farto is leading a revolution on his own. His technique has, without a doubt, changed the face of street art forever! Vhils is a very young artist who has already engraved a permanent mark in street art history. He divides his carvings into layers of images and then begins by destroying to create. His work consists of faces of individuals, often unknown beings within a community.

This man believes that destruction is a form of construction. You read that right. As crazy as it sounds he has found a very impressive method and that is by etching, scratching, carving and even exploding walls! Of course, much graffiti can be labeled destructive, but his work is truly pushing the boundaries. He believes change is necessary to communicate with the mass public, and this includes society.

One of Vhils most popular forms of media is his relief portraits. These portraits are chiseled into plaster and brick walls all over the world. Other forms of media are collage, wheat paste, wood, metal, installations, and more.

Source: http://alexandrefarto.com/

Leo and Pipo

Street Artist Biography

Wheat Pasting

Leo & Pipo have created some truly memorable and unforgettable wheat-paste art and collages. Leo & Pipo were not always engaged in artistic projects. As a matter of fact, they made music for a while before they were really involved in the art scene. It was not until May 2008 that they decided to create their first piece in Paris. As with most artists, this was not as successful as expected.

Intrigued by the 1920's, 1940's, and 1950's, Leo & Pipo went on to continue creating these collages in a different manner. They approached their street art project with an innovating mind and combined old photographs with modern design and backgrounds. With this unique idea came progressive meaning and observations on to the urban scene. Family also means much to Leo & Pipo, in fact, most of their photographs revolved around a old family, friends, and flea market pictures. The individuals involved in the photographs are not necessarily important or known.

The locations chosen by these artists are nothing special. Of course, Leo & Pipo always try chose new locations- locations which do not have previous artist interaction. Their work is precise and clever, often symbolizing the freedom to create and to "naturally" blend in the characters with their surroundings. The destruction of a previous piece is always inevitable. Some paste-ups last anywhere from a couple of days before they are either vandalized or removed, while other wheat-pastings may last up to a few years. This all depends on the circumstance and both artists believe once the piece is placed and pasted on to a wall then it will then belong to the streets.




As for their work being promoted, well Leo & Pipo prefer to discreetly release and paste a piece without quite promoting it. Therefore, once found, those individuals can feel the proud sensation and joy of discovering the new work of art.

Source: streetartparis.org/blog/2012/05/16/interview-leo-pipo/


Leo & Pipo’s Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoandpipo/
Leo & Pipo’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leo-Pipo/143959518993919

Aryz

Street Artist Biography

Murals

Lately there has been much buzz about a street artist by the name of Aryz. Originally from Barcelona Spain, this young artist's name has slowly but surely become a household name. Aryz prefers to paint simply to paint, his passion for art and fun are his motivation. In fact, he is unsure of what to call his art. People often define it as graffiti, while others consider it street art. He acknowledges the fact that he prefers to create large character murals- and by this he really means LARGE! This quickly earns him a spot with some of the best muralists.

Aryz is a very influential character throughout the globe. His presence has helped break various barriers and has earned him a spot with the very best. He has painted through various parts of Europe including Spain, Poland, Italy, and other location. His work is not limited to full-scale building size murals since he is constantly working on studio work and screen-printing as well. People often compare his work to those of ETAM CRU-truly amazing muralists.

Source: http://www.aryz.es/