Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Dissonância
Summary
Dissonância (2016) is a hand-finished screen print in an edition of 150 plus 15 APs on Hahnemühle 300gsm paper at 83 × 61 cm. It combines screen-printed acrylic ink with Quink ink, bleach, and acid, so each impression differs, and every sheet is signed and numbered by the artist.
Why It Matters
The Portuguese title, meaning dissonance, frames Vhils' recurring theme of tension between the individual and the built environment. The corrosive chemistry that partially destroys the printed image enacts that dissonance visually, letting decay and portraiture coexist on a single archival sheet.
Collector Perspective
At a generous 83 × 61 cm on heavyweight Hahnemühle, Dissonância is a substantial hand-finished sheet. The bleach-and-acid variation means collectors receive a unique impression within the edition of 150, and the artist's hand-finishing adds tactile value beyond a standard screen print.
Historical Context
Part of Vhils' 2016 program of chemically hand-finished screen prints, Dissonância shares its technical language with contemporaneous works like Stratum. These editions translated his Lisbon wall practice into a mature, repeatable studio method built on subtraction and controlled corrosion.
FAQ
What does the title mean?
Dissonância is Portuguese for dissonance, referencing the tension between people and the urban environment that runs through Vhils' work.
What techniques are used?
Screen-printed acrylic ink combined with Quink ink, bleach, and acid, then hand-finished by the artist.
Are all impressions identical?
No. The chemical process makes each of the 150 sheets unique.
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.