Gauntlet Gallery — Invader Print Index
Explosion
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Invader's "Explosion" is a 2015 silkscreen produced with Hong Kong Contemporary Art (HOCA), printed on archival paper at 55 x 55 cm in a hand-signed, numbered edition of 50. The square format and pixel-burst imagery translate the artist's signature 8-bit mosaic vocabulary into a print, rendering the digital idea of a detonation as tidy blocks of colour.
Collector notes: Limited Edition of 50. Hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
Why It Matters
The edition of 50 marks "Explosion" as one of Invader's tighter print runs. It also anchors his relationship with HOCA and the wider Hong Kong invasion campaign of the mid-2010s. For collectors mapping his print catalogue, it represents the moment the artist's Asian-market editions moved beyond the tile kits into fully signed screenprints.
Collector Perspective
Collectors weigh three things here: the low run of 50, the hand-signature and numbering, and the clean square presentation that suits framing at scale. As a HOCA-published piece, it sits within a defined institutional lineage rather than a self-published kit, which appeals to buyers who prize documented publisher provenance. Condition on the archival sheet and edges is the primary variable.
Historical Context
By 2015 Invader had spent over a decade installing ceramic-tile mosaics in cities worldwide under his anonymous, video-game-derived identity. HOCA's Hong Kong programming brought his work to Asian audiences, and "Explosion" belongs to that outreach. The imagery nods to the arcade explosions native to the 1978 Space Invaders game that gave the artist his name.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print
- Release date
- 2015-05-02
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release date; verify against the original publisher record when available.
- Series
- HOCA editions
- Medium and materials
- Silkscreen on archival paper.
- Edition details
- Limited Edition of 50.
- Signature and marks
- Hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
Documented History and Meaning
Release context: Legacy catalog record attributes the edition to HOCA (Hong Kong Contemporary Art).
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation not independently documented in the sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the physical example with the documented signature, numbering, printer/publisher marks, dimensions, support and edition structure. A matching number or seller-issued certificate alone does not authenticate a copy.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed to HOCA (Hong Kong Contemporary Art). Copy-level provenance is separate: retain invoices, labels, prior ownership records and condition photographs for the specific example.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Mixed: secondary release record with primary series context
- Legacy release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog · Accessed 2026-07-11 · Starting record for title, release date, edition, dimensions, medium, and original-release details; requires primary-source confirmation where noted.
- INVADER: Prints on Paper — International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) · museum / catalogue context · Accessed 2026-07-11 · Museum record for the exhibition and 2001–2020 prints-on-paper catalogue raisonné; not an individual-copy certificate.
FAQ
How large is the edition?
"Explosion" was released in a limited edition of 50, each sheet hand-signed and numbered by Invader.
Who published this print?
It was published in 2015 by HOCA, Hong Kong Contemporary Art, as part of Invader's Asian-market editions.
What is the medium and size?
A silkscreen on archival paper measuring 55 x 55 cm in a square format.
Is the print signed?
Yes, each impression is hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
