While most of his peers create their works by painting over public walls, Portuguese street artist Alexandre Farto—also known as Vhils—has produced a beautiful series of murals by chipping and scrapping away at old walls.
Amazingly realistic, these street portraits are made by peeling away the different layers of the walls to reveal contrasting colors and textures—the technique used gives the artworks a wonderful tactile quality.
Chiseling away at buildings may come across as destructive, but these murals actually breath new life into derelict spaces and give residents something visually stimulating to enjoy as they go about their day.
View more of Vhils’ street art on his website—would you like to see one of these chiseled murals in your neighborhood?
[via Lustik]