ADD FUEL at Underdogs Gallery, Lisbon
I was lucky to catch the final day of ADD FUEL's solo show, Chronos Redux at the Underdogs Gallery, when I visited Lisbon the other week.
Despite this being my first visit to the Portuguese capital, I've closely followed Underdogs for the last few years, getting to know some of the artists they represent and getting weighed down after buying the 608-page behemoth that is Vhils Pentimento.
Lisbon is like an open-air gallery, and Underdogs has a lot to thank for that as they aim to establish a close relationship between the artists they work with and the city of Lisbon. Through the Underdogs Art Programme and coinciding with the show's launch, ADD FUEL had transformed a city wall with a giant mural in his signature style of familiar Portuguese tile design.
Add Fuel (2020), Rua da Senhora da Glória 79.
Add Fuel is Portuguese visual artist and illustrator Diogo Machado (1980). He interweaves the art of azulejo — painted ceramic tilework characteristics of Portuguese architecture — with visual references from pop culture, comics, animation, sci-fi, and graffiti. The attention to detail in the blending of traditional and contemporary elements is remarkable.
With it being the show's final day, a little orange sticker accompanied almost all of the original pieces — a sign that the many art buyers agree with me about his work's quality. Still, I was fortunate to acquire In Permanence, a steel-cut stencil on a marble base that the gallery held in stock. I would love to try and get some of his tile designs. They're really quite remarkable.
ADD FUEL (2020), IN PERMANENCE (STENCIL)
Add Fuel (2021), Rua Nova do Carvalho, 29.
Other street art around Lisbon
Portuguese visual artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, can be seen all around Lisbon. You discover many of his works as you pass through the small streets, including right next to my hotel (the Memmo Alfama). If you aren’t aware of his style, check out this video below that offers a fantastic insight into his work using non-conventional tools and techniques, from stencil painting to wall carving, pyrotechnic explosions, and video installations.
