Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Scratches
Summary
Scratches (2011) is a one-colour screen print on Perspex incorporating paper collected from street posters, at 50 × 60 cm in an edition of just 7. Each example is signed and numbered by the artist, making it among the rarest works in his catalogue.
Why It Matters
With an edition of only 7 and real street-poster paper embedded behind Perspex, Scratches is closer to a unique object than a conventional print. It anticipates the found-material approach of later works like Palimpsest Monography, treating the city's discarded surfaces as the substance of the art.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 7 places Scratches among the scarcest Vhils editions available. The Perspex support and incorporated street posters give each example a sculptural, one-of-a-kind character, making it a connoisseur's piece for collectors seeking his rarest, most object-like work.
Historical Context
Produced in 2011, Scratches is an early experiment in mounting Vhils' imagery on Perspex with salvaged street material. It foreshadows the acrylic-glass and found-poster construction he would formalize five years later in Palimpsest Monography.
FAQ
Why is the edition so small?
Only 7 examples were made, each incorporating collected street posters on Perspex, making it exceptionally rare.
What is it printed on?
Perspex, combined with paper collected from street posters.
How does it relate to later work?
It anticipates the found-poster, acrylic-glass approach of Palimpsest Monography (2016).
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.