One man's trash: Portuguese artist fashioning mural out of Gatineau's garbage

The city of Gatineau, Que., has snagged an international star of the art world to create a multi-storey outdoor mural for its summer art festival using residents'own garbage.

The pieceby Portuguese artist Artur Bordalois part ofthe city'sthird annualSentier Culturel,a three-kilometre trailthrough the downtown that featurespublic art, performances and heritage tours.

Bordalo, known throughout the art world as Bordalo II,estimates he's createdmore than 150 murals around the world as part of a series called Big Trash Animals always with the same underlying message.

"It's about the world, it's about the environment, the trash, the contamination, the pollution," said Bordalo,whosework is widely shared throughhis Instagram account.

"And of course, there is always a social part behind it, because the public, the society, we cannot live in a world that would be damaged by our acts."

Bordalo has already showcased his art across North America. In Moncton, N.B., heused local garbage both metals and plastic to create an impressively largethree-dimensional mural of a turtle against a wall, its feet touching the ground.

"It's not about making something beautiful out of trash. It's what's behind it.- Arthur Bordalo

In Gatineau, his canvas is an office building behind city hall.

'Think big'

Having an international art world star take part inthefestival is "an honour," said Gatineaupoet Marjolaine Beauchamp.

Beauchampis not usually a visual artist, but she'll be paintingher poetry on a wall across the street from Bordalo'spiece.

"His murals are all over the world," said Beauchamp, adding Bordalo's contribution will help local artists "think big" and be inspired by international ideas.

Trash has 'personality'

While his themes are international, Bordalosaid his work is always made local through medium ofgarbage.

"It's local trash, so the personality is already there," said Bordalo.

"It's not about making something beautiful out of trash," he added. "It's what's behind it. It's an image of nature. It's an animal. It's what we are destroying with the same trash contamination."

It still wasn't clear Wednesday afternoon what animal would emerge from the piece, and Bordalo wasn't giving any hints.

"It's a surprise," he said.