Which Portuguese street artist creates animal sculptures from recycled trash? The answer is Bordalo II.
Bordalo II is the artistic name of Artur Bordalo, a Lisbon-born artist who turns discarded materials into large animal installations and murals. His work uses items such as old tires, wrecked car parts, appliances, plastic, and aluminum cans to criticize waste and overconsumption.
He began making graffiti at age 11 and studied painting at the University of Lisbon, though he did not complete the course. The name Bordalo II honors his grandfather, the painter Artur Real Bordalo. His best-known project, Big Trash Animals, uses recognizable creatures to show how human waste threatens wildlife.
The artist’s sculptures are not simply made from recycled materials as a practical choice; their trash is part of the message. Between 2012 and 2022, he reportedly used more than 60 tons of waste for roughly 200 animal sculptures. His Plastic Mero in Funchal, completed in 2019 from marine debris, is a notable example.