Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
The Unknown Icon
Summary
The Unknown Icon, from 2008, is a one-colour hand-pulled screen print measuring 50 x 70 cm, made using bleach on hand-painted inks in an edition of 150. The image draws on Vhils's photographs of homeless people in his native Portugal, elevating an anonymous, overlooked subject to the status of a monumental icon.
Why It Matters
This print embodies Vhils's core humanist gesture: rendering forgotten, unnamed people at heroic, iconic scale, forcing recognition of those the city passes by. Sourced from his own street photography of the homeless, it ties his portrait practice to a direct social conscience, making it one of his more narratively pointed early works.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 150, The Unknown Icon is among the more available early Vhils prints, a good entry point that still carries his signature bleach-on-ink technique and strong subject matter. The larger circulation means condition and finishing quality should guide selection. Confirm signature and the integrity of the bleached surface.
Historical Context
In 2008 Vhils photographed homeless people while walking the streets of Portugal, turning these found subjects into portraits, a practice rooted in his conviction that anonymous individuals carry the same weight as public icons. This aligns with his wall portraits of ordinary faces, monumentalizing those usually rendered invisible in urban life.
FAQ
Who is depicted?
The image derives from Vhils's own photographs of homeless people in Portugal, presented as an anonymous but monumental icon.
What is the technique?
A one-colour hand-pulled screen print using bleach on hand-painted inks, measuring 50 x 70 cm.
How large is the edition?
An edition of 150, one of the more accessible Vhils prints from this period.
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.