Numbered and signed Offset Lithograph by Amsterdam based American-Belgian artist Nils Westergard, a.k.a. NILS.RVA Beholden. 2022. Edition of 50. 50 x 70cm. Multi-Design Rough White 170gsm. Portrait in shades of grey, black and white. Street-Art style, from an original spray-paint stencil. The print is brand new. It has been stored flat, and will be shipped rolled in a tube with extra protection and insured, which means a slightly higher postage cost. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity Sticker signed by the artist, that you can decide to keep separate, or paste directly on the back of the print, or of a frame. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Nils Westergard (NILS.RVA) is a nomadic Belgian-American street artist and filmmaker based in Amsterdam. His works investigate themes such as intimacy, strength and vulnerability. Starting with graffiti at a young age in the Washington, DC area he honed his skills painting tunnels, bridges, and theatrical stage sets. His intricate hand-cut stencil work set a foundation for his studio practice and landed him at Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied film, making hip-hop music videos combining his crafts. After graduating he set out to paint a different European city every week for 6 months, and established himself as a rising figure in the street-art world. Today his lens has focused on subjects scaling from the global to the intimate-creating massive, drippy, portraits found on walls around the world, followed closely by his immensely detailed stencil work in galleries. A member of the Amsterdam based Multi-Syndicate Crew artist collective he splits his time between Richmond, VA and Europe. Nils has been part of multiple shows with Amsterdam Street Art (ASA), at Go Gallery and is part of the collections of STRAAT Museum (Amsterdam) and Urban Nation (Berlin). This stencil is visible at The Secret Garden Amsterdam ABOUT THE ARTWORK: The term 'Beholden' refers to being obligated or indebted to someone, feeling a sense of duty or gratitude towards them. It implies a state of owing and often involves a recognition of favours or kindness received. The act of covering one's eyes with clasped hands is reminiscent of a gesture of gratitude, a symbolic acknowledgment of the unseen forces or individuals to whom one feels beholden. It also suggests vulnerability. The merging of the individual visage with the hands creates a visual metaphor that one can connect to the reciprocal nature of human relations. Beyond the meanings we can try to find by looking into the relation between the title and the subject, the striking visual of a flawless merge of one's hand onto one's face, rather than creating unease, evoked to me a sense of peace and calm. Nils created a deeply believable new reality which literally titillates and defies our brain's senses and ability to trick itself. I find this artwork deeply poetic, and Nils' stenciling skills really bring a beautiful quality to this piece, that, we guarantee, will not leave any of your visitors indifferent. We hope it can find a new home in your interior and trigger your own sense of gratitude and reflection every day. STREET-ART MOVEMENT: The STREET-ART MOVEMENT, to which NILS.RVA belongs, originated in the late 80s graffiti scene and has since been reclaiming public spaces as a platform to emancipate art and make it truly accessible to everyone. Councils and, overall, the public domain have now recognized its power and ability to renew and revive cities, abandoned areas, and spark interest for people to (re)engage with commons. Many festivals, commissions, and dedicated museums now celebrate the diversity of styles coexisting within Street-Art. Some of the most prominent members of this movement include Banksy, Obey (Shepard Fairey), Invader, C215, JR, Vhils, Mr. Brainwash, FAKE, Jef Aerosol, Swoon, Speedy Graphito, Cornbread, Futura 2000, Kaws, D*Face, Misstic, Fin DAC, 1010, Alexi Diaz, Alias, Alice Pasquini, Axel Void, Blek le rat, Cranio, Super A, Danielle SeeWalker, Hoxxoh, Bortusk Kleer, Arsh Mandrome, Hök, Moabit, TedyZet, Utopia, Jago Oner, Santicri, Kev Munday amongst many, many more.