Portuguese visual artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils (b.1987) has developed a unique visual language based on the removal of the surface layers of walls and other media with non-conventional tools and techniques, establishing symbolic reflections on identity, life in the urban context, the passage of time, and the relationship of interdependence between people and the surrounding environment. With a background in graffiti, his groundbreaking bas-relief carving technique, which forms the basis of the “Scratching the Surface” project, has been met with critical acclaim. Since 2005 he has been presenting his work in solo and group exhibitions, art events, institutions, public interventions, and community projects in numerous countries around the world, having also placed a site-specific piece aboard the International Space Station. An avid experimentalist, he has been developing his personal aesthetics in a plurality of media, from stencil painting to wall carving, from pyrotechnic explosions and video to sculptural installations. His work is represented in several public and private collections in various countries.