In 2024, my wife and I travelled to Lisbon and Porto, excited to rediscover Lisbon and experience Porto for the first time. Having visited Lisbon years ago, we wanted to take things slower this time.
Lisbon, or Lisboa, is a city that boasts beauty and charm, with lots of sunshine and stunning views. From its cobbled streets to its delicious food, every corner has something to offer. It’s also a vibrant canvas for its street art, combining tradition with modernity.
From bold graffiti to intricate murals, every piece reflects the spirit of the city. Neighbourhoods like Alfama, Alcântara, and Graça are popular for discovering some of these delights. This story is about Lisbon’s Street art.
Different cities tell their own stories. Adelaide (our home city), and Lisbon both have fantastic street art scenes, but their styles and influences differ greatly. Adelaide’s murals are vibrant, colourful, and often celebrate local culture, including Indigenous stories and Australian landscapes.
While Lisbon combines history and politics, its colourful walls tell great stories through traditional tiles and its bold murals. Two cities, two styles.
You may want to compare styles, Lisbon and Adelaide, by visiting an earlier story, Adelaide – As Seen by its Street Art.
Street art has become a fun and familiar part of our travels. These are just a few favourites that we spotted while wandering the city’s streets and hidden lanes – there was plenty more we didn’t capture. The surprise of what’s around the corner never gets old!
Here is a curated sample of what we discovered:
Peace Guard 2017
Artist: Shepherd Fairey – Location: 11 Rua Natália Correia – Graça
Shepherd Fairey is an American artist and activist also known as Obey Giant.
As Obey Giant, he challenges power and authority with striking graphics and powerful messages. He uses bright colours and bold portraits to make his art stand out.
He pushes back against power and authority with eye-catching art and messages that make you stop and think.
This mural was completed in 2017 and repainted in the summer of 2023 with a new colour variation. It is a symbol for the transition from fascism to democracy in 1974. Shepherd explains the work as “serving as a reminder that pushing for peace, ironically requires a militant vigilance itself. Peace is victory without war”.
Corvus – 2022
Artist: Alain Welter – Location: 76A Rua da Bombard – Arroios
Alain Welter, born in Luxembourg, is a mural artist and illustrator. Alain painted this piece in collaboration with the Luxembourg embassy in Lisbon.
Corvus – refers to a genus of birds called crows, ravens, and rooks.
To connect Portugal and Luxembourg, he went for something personal instead of using obvious symbols. He chose a crow – a common theme in his work with human-like animals. Crows also appear on the emblems of both Lisbon and his hometown, Koler, making it a perfect fit.
“I chose the colour blue for my main character, which is inspired by the traditional painted tin-glazed ceramic tiles Azulejos constituting a major aspect of Portuguese architecture to this day…” – Alain
The crow is also holding a ‘pasteis de nata’, which is a typical Portuguese pastry.
Fado Tropical in RGB Tones – 2021
Artist: Oze Arv – Location: Rua Natália Correia – Graça
You can’t miss this mural in Lisbon – it really grabs your attention.
Oze Arv is the artistic name of José Carvalho, an artist based in Lisbon. The mural is a tribute to Portugal’s traditional Fado music. Fado is known for how expressive and profoundly melancholic it is. The mural doesn’t show Fado music directly – instead, it captures the feeling of Fado through its mood, colours, and mix of nature and emotion.
“…We are the fado of the alleys and of new sounds. We are the fado in remix where each animal takes and leaves a bit of itself…” – Oze Arv
There is so much to look at – plants, faces, animals – all bursting with life. It’s one of those pieces you can’t just walk past without stopping.
Untitled – 2024
Artist: Mira Savini – Location: Tv. Rui de Pina J – São Domingos de Benfica
Born in Crimea, Mira now resides in the Lombardy region of Italy, near Milan.
She describes her work as ‘sensual art’ – because it’s full of energy and emotion. There’s always something deeper hidden in her realistic style – like a message or feeling waiting to be found. Mira wants people to connect with it and feel something.
In the middle of this mural, there’s a calm woman who looks peaceful. All around her are plants and leaves that seem to flow with colours that blend together to give off an earthy feeling. It kind of feels like she’s one with nature, everything’s growing and flowing together.
Untitled – c 2016
Artist: Margarida Fleming – Location: 103 Rua Rodrigues de Faria – LX Factory – Alcântara
The LX Factory was once a working textile complex, but now it’s a buzzing spot full of restaurants, bars, shops, studios – and loads of street art tucked around every corner. The old industrial vibe is still very much alive in the buildings, which adds so much character to the place.
While wandering through building Edifício I, we spotted this mural by Margarida Fleming – two girls, painted so beautifully that we had to pause. It really pulled us in. You’ll find murals like this scattered across walls, stairwells, and corridors, especially near the creative studios.
I’m not sure what Fleming meant to say with this piece, but it feels like a quiet tribute to the women who might’ve worked here long ago – when this was still a textile factory. Maybe those two girls are echoes of a different time.
Her style is bold and emotional, with thick, textured strokes and intense eyes that seem to follow you. There’s almost nothing in the background, which somehow makes the faces even more powerful. It’s simple, but it says so much.
Timelessness – 2018
Artist: Jacqueline de Montaigne – Location: 103 Rua Rodrigues de Faria – LX Factory – Alcântara
Tucked inside A Nata do LX café at LX Factory you will find this lovely tribute to David Bowie.
Timelessness – because no one really dies, was inspired by Bowie’s last song to be released in his lifetime, Lazarus verse 3:
This way or no way, you know I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird now, ain’t that just like me?
Oh, I’ll be free, just like that bluebird
Oh, I’ll be free, ain’t that just like me?
There’s something soft and emotive about it, and that feeling comes through in the mural on the wall.
The colours are gentle – faded greys and soft blues – that give it a sense of calm.
Swallows often appear in Jacqueline de Montaigne’s work, closely tied to Portuguese culture, and here one quietly shares the space with Bowie. It feels like a peaceful little addition that fits the mood of the mural.
It’s also the perfect little corner to pause, sip a coffee, and enjoy a warm pastel de nata. A moment of stillness tucked into the buzz of LX Factory.
Pelicans – 2020
Artist: Bordalo II – Location: Rua do Carmo (Next to the Santa Justa Lift) – Chiado
Artur Bordalo – better known as Bordalo II – isn’t just an artist, he’s what he calls an ‘artivist’. That’s artist-meets-activist, and it shows in his works. You’ll find pieces from his Big Trash Animals series all over Portugal, each one built from city recycled waste.
With the idea that ‘one person’s trash is another’s treasure’, his style is instantly recognizable: bold, three-dimensional creatures made from junk collected around the city. And somehow, he makes it beautiful.
This particular installation – two large pelicans – sit right in the middle of Lisbon, made from plastic, scrap metal, wires, and even bits of old cars. They’re bold, colourful, and full of character; they’re just hanging out, quietly watching the crowds pass by.
But beyond the beauty, there’s a message: Bordalo II wants us to rethink: waste, overconsumption, and how we treat the planet.
In My Dreams – 2023 and Antonio 2 – 2023
Artist: O Gringo – Location 1: 7 Rua Limoeiro, Alfama – Location 2: 104 Rua Rodrigues de Faria, Alcântara
O Gringo, born Bastien Tomasini in Nice, France, is now based in Lisbon. His art is inspired by azulejos – the hand-painted tiles found across Portugal – and he uses them in a unique way to tell emotional, human stories.
Blending tradition with modern life, his murals often feature the human body wrapped in tile patterns, creating a strong connection between personal expression and Portuguese culture. There’s a clear influence of Fado too – the soulful music of longing and loss. One common theme in Fado is a woman mourning her fisherman husband lost at sea, and that same quiet sorrow often echoes through O Gringo’s work.
You’ll spot O Gringo’s work easily just walking through Lisbon – his murals are part of the city now. I’ve picked two very different pieces to share. I don’t know the full stories behind them, but here’s what they made me feel:
‘In My Dreams’ – It shows a man and woman standing back-to-back. The woman is painted in soft blue, like traditional Portuguese tiles, while the man is mostly yellow, with hints of blue connecting them. They don’t face each other, but they seem bound by something shared – maybe a memory, maybe a silence. The difference in colour makes their separation feel even more emotional, like they’re part of the same story but experiencing it in different ways.
‘Antonio 2’ – It shows a figure with their head in their hands, wrapped in soft blue tile patterns. It feels like a moment of private grief made public – quiet, raw, and deeply human.
Listen to my Soul – 2023
Artist: Pariz One – Location: Rua Maria Isabel Saint-Léger – Alcântara
Pariz One was born and raised in Lisbon. His work is usually extremely vibrant and full of movement, making you feel energised just looking at it.
Just outside Lisbon’s popular LX Factory, you’ll see this striking piece: a bold and colourful mural that really grabs your attention.
Aside from its colour and energy, the true message is all about looking inward. Perhaps asking us to stop and really listen to what’s going on deep within ourselves, our own feelings and needs which may be overlooked in our busy life.
You might just miss it if you’re not keeping an eye out, so definitely make an effort to find it. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
The best part of Lisbon’s street art scene: it’s always changing. It’s all just part of the city; new works seem to appear all the time. So, whether you’re a street art lover or just someone who loves discovering hidden treats, then Lisbon’s streets are sure to inspire you!
Artwork title, artist, neighbourhood, left to right:
Adapta (2020) by Add Fuel – Graça; Untitled (2017) by Vhils and Shephard Fairey – Graça;
Untitled (2021) by Mr Garpear – Parque das Nações; Untitled (2021) by I Am Eelco – Parque das Nações
Until next time, keep wandering – and let the walls do the talking. Stay tuned for more travel stories or click here to see all of our street art stories.
Obrigado e até logo – (Thank you and see you later)