Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Peroxide
Summary
Peroxide (2019) is a hand-finished screen print in an edition of 250, made with screen print, Quink ink and acid on Keaykolour Original China White 300gsm paper. At a wide 50 by 100 cm format, it is signed and numbered by the artist, with hand-applied acid finishing giving each impression its own surface character.
Why It Matters
The elongated 50 by 100 cm format sets Peroxide apart, giving Vhils's eroded portrait an expansive, mural-like proportion closer to his wall works. The title, naming a bleaching agent, points directly to the chemical process he uses to lighten and carve the image. It is a technically evocative example of his subtractive method.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 250 places Peroxide in the accessible range, but its unusually wide format makes framing and wall placement a specific consideration. The China White stock, pencil signature and number are the checks. As with all his acid-worked prints, the surface variation is intended, and this listing's example is an artist's proof outside the main numbered run.
Historical Context
Produced in 2019 via Underdogs, Peroxide belongs to Vhils's established line of hand-finished screen prints. The panoramic format reflects his instinct to echo the scale and horizontality of the billboards and walls he carves, translated to a fine art sheet for collectors.
FAQ
What does the title Peroxide reference?
A bleaching agent, alluding to the chemical lightening and erosion Vhils uses to form the image.
What is unusual about its format?
It is a wide 50 by 100 cm sheet, more panoramic than his standard prints.
What is an artist's proof?
An impression outside the main numbered edition of 250, traditionally reserved for the artist.
How is it finished?
By hand with Quink ink and acid over the screen print, giving each sheet unique surface effects.
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.