Born in Lisbon (PT), Bordalo II’s early interactions with art oscillated between his grandfather’s watercolour paintings of classic Lisbon landscapes and seeing illegal graffiti on the city’s streets.
Big Trash Animals, his series of large-scale sculptures, depicts animals made out of discarded and recycled materials. Through portraying animals made from the materials that are responsible for the destruction of their habitats, Bordalo II draws attention to the problem of waste and pollution, and its effect on the planet.
His works are built with end-of-life materials: the majority found in wastelands, abandoned factories and industrial estates. Damaged car bumpers, used tires, garbage cans and household appliances are just some of the objects that can be identified within his vibrant sculptures; even more so in his latest series of ‘half and half’ sculptures which bring his specific choice of materials, and the message behind his work, to the fore.
