Bordalo II’s Massive Raccoon is Watching Lisbon And It’s Made of Trash
In April 2015, Portuguese artist Bordalo II created Big Raccoon in Lisbon, transforming a wall in Belém with one of his defining early Big Trash Animals. Created from discarded bumpers, tyres, twisted metal, plastics and other urban waste, the monumental raccoon turned the debris of consumer culture into a striking portrait of wildlife.
Image copyright Bordalo II
Bordalo II Big Raccoon Lisbon: Meaning and Materials
Created for Bordalo II’s 2015 solo exhibition at Arte Periférica Gallery in Lisbon’s CCB, the work became an important moment in the artist’s growing international recognition. Its scale, unconventional materials and clever relationship with the architecture made Big Raccoon instantly memorable, while carrying the environmental message that would become central to Bordalo II’s practice.
The work is technically as inventive as it is visually striking. Bordalo II uses the building’s stepped architecture to create an optical illusion: viewed from the side, the raccoon appears fragmented and abstract, yet from directly in front its features suddenly align. The effect is playful, mischievous and brilliantly engineered, turning the architecture itself into part of the artwork.
Image copyright Bordalo II
Beneath the raccoon’s watchful gaze sits a darker message. By transforming the discarded remains of consumer culture into monumental animal sculptures, Bordalo II draws attention to the environmental cost of what we consume and throw away, from growing mountains of waste to plastic pollution and the pressure these habits place on wildlife and fragile habitats.
Image copyright Bordalo II
The raccoon, with its knowing gaze assembled from discarded materials, seems to watch us in return, quietly confronting us with an uncomfortable question: what are we leaving behind?
Image copyright Bordalo II
UPDATE 2025
A decade after Bordalo II’s Big Raccoon in Lisbon, the original Belém landmark was removed and its story continued through Re-Raccoon in 2025.
The newer work Re-Raccoon, unveiled in 2025 revisits the spirit of the original while extending its environmental message into a new chapter. GraffitiStreet’s Big Trash Animals guide places both raccoons within the wider evolution of Bordalo II’s monumental sculpture and his ongoing critique of waste, consumption and environmental responsibility.
Discover Bordalo II at GraffitiStreet
Discover available Bordalo II artworks through GraffitiStreet’s online store, or contact us to discuss availability, acquisitions and private viewings. You can also experience selected works in person at GraffitiStreet Gallery, 25A West Street, Chichester, West Sussex, England PO19 1QW.
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