Portugese street artist Vhils has been asked to create a mural for the facade of a new restaurant Gold on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. This new celebrity restaurant is planning to serve fire-cooked food and have a late night bar on site over multiple floors. The location is the former pub named Portobello Gold, which is how this got its name. As part of the opening, street artist Vhils has created this new mural on the fascade, but it has raised concerns in the area and the neighbours are not happy.
The council and neighbours have raised issues because many of this buildings on this part of the road are in bright pastel colours, and this is the only one that sticks out. Notting Hill has had its share of grafitti over the years, so this isn't anything new for the area. However, the main issue seems to be the subject of the artwork. It features a face with two huge eyes that appear to watch you. Many have considered it creepy and not in line with the rest of the street.
Vhils has painted in primarily east London many times with giant faces constructed by carving them out of the raw material, such as plaster and brickwork. While I do love the large face coming out of the brickwork and exposing it underneath, I do agree that I probably wouldn't like it opposite of where I live, though I probably would get used to it being there. Maybe it could have been a giant kitten or puppy eyes instead.
Previous work in this blog with work of Vhils is here:
Street Art: Akse, Vhils, Bailon, Sliks, Grud, Drypnz, and Vinz
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