Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Allusion
Summary
Allusion (2019) is among Vhils' most conceptually distinctive editions: made from advertising posters collected from the street and laser-engraved paper, hand-finished, signed and numbered in an edition of 35 at 100 x 70 cm. Each edition comes framed, and because it uses found street material, impressions differ from one another.
Why It Matters
Allusion literally embeds the city into the artwork. By harvesting layered advertising posters and cutting into them with laser engraving, Vhils reverses the logic of billboards, subtracting from commercial imagery to surface a portrait. It is a direct bridge between his street ethos and studio production.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of just 35 and using unique found substrates, Allusion is genuinely scarce and inherently variable. The included frame and large 100 x 70 cm format make it a statement piece. Collectors should note that the street-poster source means each impression carries different underlying imagery.
Historical Context
Vhils has long incorporated the material fabric of urban environments into his work. In 2019 Allusion extended that principle to layered advertising posters, aligning with his career-long interrogation of how cities visually accumulate, decay and are stripped back to reveal the human figure.
FAQ
Why does each Allusion look different?
It is built from advertising posters collected from the street, so the underlying found imagery varies across the edition.
Is it framed?
Yes, each edition comes with a frame.
How limited is it?
The edition is 35, signed and numbered, making it one of Vhils' scarcer 2019 releases.
About the Artist
Vhils is the working name of Alexandre Farto, a Portuguese visual artist born in 1987 near Lisbon. He is internationally recognized for a pioneering "carving" technique in which he excavates portraits from layered walls, billboards, and surfaces using chisels, drills, and controlled explosives, effectively creating images by removing material rather than adding it. His large-scale murals appear in cities across the globe, and his studio editions translate this bas-relief, destructive-creation aesthetic into prints, laser-cut works, and mixed-media pieces. Vhils has exhibited widely and collaborated on major public and institutional projects.
Collecting Vhils at Gauntlet Gallery
What Vhils works can I collect?
Beyond his walls, Vhils produces signed, numbered studio editions including screenprints, hand-carved paper, laser-cut metal, and mixed-media relief works. Editions that preserve his signature carving texture are especially sought after. Gauntlet Gallery favors pieces in excellent condition with intact surfaces and complete documentation.
How is a Vhils piece authenticated?
We sell Vhils works with documented studio provenance, supported by the edition's signature and numbering. Each piece is photographed exactly as it will ship, including signature, edition number, and any embossing or studio marks, so details are verifiable up front.
What drives value?
Medium and technique (unique carved and relief works over flat prints), edition size, scale, condition, and documented provenance all shape price. Hand-worked, textural, and one-of-a-kind pieces carry the highest premiums.