NEWARK -- Murals by a world-renowned Portuguese street artist will soon be on display in all of Newark's five wards as part of a collaboration between the city and Portugal.

Alexandre Farto, better known by his tag name VHILS, will begin working on the murals this November. The project, "Scratching the Surface," will allow local artists to connect with Farto during workshops, in which he'll demonstrate how he creates his stencil-based art, a release from the mayor's office said.

"The City of Newark and the great nation of Portugal enjoy many ties, and the arts is one of the greatest such links," Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement. "We are now expanding those ties by uniting as two great communities to bring the power of modern art to all of our wards, with these mural projects by Alexandre Farto."

Farto's unique style of graffiti uses tools such as chisels, jackhammers and tiny explosives instead of spray paint to carve through the surface layers of walls and other media to create a new image, the release said.

The goal of the project, sponsored by the Newark Museum and local arts organizations, is to "add to the beauty of Newark, our luster to visitors, and our role as a center for learning and the arts," Baraka said.

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.