Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Relic (First Edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Relic (First Edition), 2020, is a hand-finished screen print in an edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs. Beyond screen ink, Vhils works the sheet with Quink ink, bleach and acid on Keaykolour Original China White 300gsm paper at 70 by 50 cm. Each is signed and numbered, and each carries hand-applied surface variation.
Collector notes: Edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs according to the saved release record. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The title Relic captures Vhils's central idea: the human face treated as an excavated artefact, revealed through erosion rather than addition. The bleach-and-acid finishing enacts that excavation on the paper itself. For collectors, Relic is a clear studio expression of the carving philosophy that made his wall works internationally recognised.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 200 with 20 proofs places Relic in Vhils's more available tier, yet the hand-finishing guarantees individuality. The China White 300gsm stock and pencil signature are the key authentication points. Because acid and bleach create intended irregularities, collectors should read surface texture as part of the work rather than as condition damage.
Historical Context
Released in 2020, Relic sits within a run of hand-finished screen prints through which Vhils, via his Underdogs gallery, brought the aesthetic of his carved facades to paper. By this point his reputation rested on more than a decade of large-scale portrait interventions carved into walls across multiple continents.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2020
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print | Hand Finished; catalog dimensions 70 x 50 cm; Screen print on paper; Screen print ink, Quink ink, bleach, and acid; Hand-finished, signed and numbered by the artist.
- Edition details
- Edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs according to the saved release record.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Vhils's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Released in 2020, Relic sits within a run of hand-finished screen prints through which Vhils, via his Underdogs gallery, brought the aesthetic of his carved facades to paper. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2020 and attributes the edition to Underdogs.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Underdogs. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Vhils — official site — Vhils studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Vhils — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Vhils (Q115823) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What does the title Relic refer to?
It evokes the face as an unearthed artefact, consistent with Vhils's practice of revealing portraits through erosion.
How is the print hand-finished?
With Quink ink, bleach and acid applied over the screen print, creating unique surface effects on each sheet.
What is the edition size?
An edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs, all signed and numbered.
What paper is used?
Keaykolour Original China White 300gsm, at 70 by 50 cm.
