Portuguese street artist and activist Artur Bordalo (aka Bordalo II) is an international artist who makes installations and 3D murals from recycled trash. His goal is to draw people’s attention to waste and over-consumption. Between 2012 and 2022 it is estimated that Bordalo repurposed over 60 tons of old tires, pieces of wrecked cars, discarded appliances, plastic waste and aluminum cans making over 200 sculptural animals like the one shown here located in Lisbon. He believes making animals with trash draws attention to the destruction of species caused by societies over consumption and waste.
Bordalo started doing graffiti when he was 11 years old and eventually studied painting at the University of Lisbon. He studied at the university for over eight years, yet as a true rebel never completed his degree. Although his work reportedly focuses on ecological themes, the real strength of the work lies in the act of redemption — taking items that have been discarded, deemed worthless and elevating them to delightful, inspiring installations. It is said that to be a true artist, one must see things that others do not, and Bordalo does not disappoint. He sees and fashions a world of beauty and opportunity in what other see as a pile of garbage.