Sloth

The Portuguese artist Artur Bordalo (1987), known as Bordalo II, became famous for using olleaving the streets to create sculptures of stunning animals, with the purpose of alerting people about pollution and all types of species that are threatened with extinction. From street art developed his practice, evolving into what is today considered “trash art”. His passion for painting dates back to his childhood, when he spent hours on end watching his grandfather painting in his studio and also due to the underworld of the city of Lisbon - strongly influenced at the time by graffiti practices. He started spray painting walls on the streets at the age of 11, under the stage name Bordalo II, in honor and highlighting the artistic legacy of his grandfather Artur Real Bordalo (1925-2017). During the painting course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lisbon, he discovered sculpture, ceramics and began experimenting with the most diverse materials. DSince 2012, Arthur Bordalo created around two hundred animal sculptures using more than 60 tons of reused materials. The objects that were once abandoned - the plates, the tires, the doors - in the hands of Bordalo II they acquire an aesthetic and communicative function, in the shape of animals. The Portuguese artist wants to represent in his works a nature image, based on what destroys them - garbage, waste and pollution, clearly expressing a critique of consumerism and offering a sustainability solution. Yours installations “Big Trash Animals”, spread across several places in the world - public or museum - shout about the need for socio-ecological sustainability. On the streets of his hometown, a series of works, ”Provocative” and “Train Tracks”, they interact with fabric and urban furniture, presenting a new critical look at society, its stakeholders and constraints. These small ephemeral interventions seek to be a vehicle for communication and awareness through art, thus addressing diverse themes, such as pollution, exploitation of women, media sensationalism, connectivity and control, among others.

P55 Magazine x Articles Bordalo II

Bordalo II, the ecological artist
5 facts about Bordalo II
Good investment? 5 Reasons to Invest in Bordalo II
Bordalo II in the Paris Agreement
Street Art in Portugal: List of the artist's Sculptures Bordalo II