Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Stratum
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Stratum (2016) is a hand-finished screen print in an edition of 150 on Fedrigoni cotton, built through Vhils' signature subtractive vocabulary. Quink, bleach, and acid work against screen-printed acrylic ink so that no two impressions read identically, translating his wall-carving practice into a controlled paper edition.
Collector notes: First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 150. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The title Stratum speaks directly to Vhils' core idea: cities as accumulated layers of surface and memory. Rather than adding an image, the corrosive process strips ink back, mirroring how he excavates faces from plaster and billboard walls. It is a compact statement of his signing philosophy on paper.
Collector Perspective
Because bleach and acid react unpredictably, each of the 150 impressions is genuinely unique despite the shared matrix, giving buyers a one-of-a-kind object within an editioned framework. Signed, numbered, and hand-finished by the artist, it offers an accessible entry into Vhils' studio process on archival cotton stock.
Historical Context
By 2016 Vhils (Alexandre Farto) had moved from Lisbon walls to international gallery editions, refining chemical and screen techniques to carry his destructive-creative method onto paper. Stratum sits within this maturing print program, where corrosion and layering became repeatable studio tools rather than site-specific gestures.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2016
- 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; Item Description : Quink, bleach, acid, and screen print acrylic ink. Signed, numbered, and hand-finished by the artist. Each print is unique due to the process; Fedrigoni cotton wove premium white 350gsm paper.
- Edition details
- First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 150.
- 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: By 2016 Vhils (Alexandre Farto) had moved from Lisbon walls to international gallery editions, refining chemical and screen techniques to carry his destructive-creative method onto 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 2016 and attributes the edition to APPortfolio.
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 APPortfolio. 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
Why is each print described as unique?
The bleach and acid react differently with the acrylic ink on every sheet, so each of the 150 impressions varies even though they share the same screen matrix.
What paper is it printed on?
Fedrigoni cotton stock, an archival cotton paper chosen to hold the chemical hand-finishing.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Each print is signed, numbered, and hand-finished by the artist, part of an edition of 150.
