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Five Questions with… Vertical Gallery’s Patrick Hull

It’s shaping up to be a busy summer for Vertical Gallery, highlighted by the biennial return of longtime favorite Collin van der Sluijs. ’Wanderland,’ Collin’s sixth solo show in Chicago, runs July 10 through Aug. 22 in partnership with Irving Park’s Joy Machine Gallery, accompanied by the release of the Dutch painter, muralist and graffiti writer’s first comprehensive career retrospective book. Vertical’s third-quarter slate also includes the debut American print release from UK mosaic maker Florist as well as ‘Ascending,’ a globe-trotting group show spotlighting the next generation of artists poised to take over your walls. Vertical owner Patrick Hull reveals all in the latest installment of our web-exclusive Five Questions with… series.  

Question 1: What can you tell us about Collin van der Sluijs’ ‘Wanderland’? 

Patrick Hull: It's gonna be a beautiful exhibition. It’s a wide range of work in Collin’s signature style, and if you think you know what to expect based on his earlier solo shows, think again.

There’s something for everyone in this show, including a selection of small drawings starting around $300, some mid-sized canvases and what Collin calls BACs — “big-ass canvases” — priced up to $15,000. A couple of the BACs are inspired by his small, mixed-media watercolor drawings, but these are giant versions that he calls “Watercolor XLs.” There are also two skate decks, along with a whole series of small paintings that kind of blend in with them. Collin painted on skate decks back in the day, and this is the first time he’s returned to that. 

We first showed Collin back in 2016, and we keep bringing him back every two years. (The photo above is from our first meeting in Brussels 11 years ago; he's on the right, I'm on the left.) As soon as Collin finishes one show, we plan another, and he starts working on it — in fact, he began one of the drawings and one of the paintings in ‘Wanderland’ right after he got home from Chicago in 2024. He starts on something, adds layers of oil paint or mixed media or whatever it is, and just lets it form over time. 

Question 2: What else do you have in store to make this exhibit one for the ages?

We’re publishing a monograph, ‘Wanderland: 1991-2026.’ It’s the first comprehensive book of Collin’s career. It's a really personal project for him: It goes back to the very beginning, when he first discovered graffiti, and continues all the way up to this current exhibition. Almost all of the wall murals that he's done over time are included, and he contributes commentary on many different projects. It’s a really exciting book — [writer] Jason Ankeny and I have been working on it for close to a year. 

‘Wanderland: 1991-2026’ is a 180-page, full-color hardcover, strictly limited to 175 copies total. The regular version of the book is priced at $85. There’s also a deluxe version limited to 30 copies. It’s the same physical book, only it’s signed by Collin and includes an original watercolor drawing. It's a really great way to get one of his originals, and each buyer gets to pick the drawing they want. You also get a signed mini-print. 

The deluxe edition is priced at $275. If you do the math, the book itself is $85, and if you were to buy a small original drawing from Collin, it would cost you $250. Something like the signed mini-print would cost around $50. So it’s a $385 value that you are getting for $275. 

We started the pre-order on June 4, and we only have a few copies of the deluxe edition remaining. People who pre-order can pick up their copies at Joy Machine when the ‘Wanderland’ show opens Friday, July 10, or we’ll begin shipping them out July 9, once Collin arrives in Chicago to sign them. 

Question 3: Just before ‘Wanderland’ opens, Vertical is releasing a limited-edition screenprint from a UK artist named Florist. What do we need to know? 

Florist is a London-based mosaic street artist who’s found his own unique style. I followed him on social media before connecting with him through Patrick Coulson at Always Art, which provides Florist’s certificates of authenticity. Patrick thought Florist and Vertical would be a really good match, and after discussing ways we could work together, we’ll be releasing our first collaboration on July 1. 

Florist’s screenprint is titled “Stars, Stripes and Stems,” and it celebrates 250 years of the USA. It’s kind of funny that we’re working with a British artist to commemorate our country’s anniversary, but he's come up with a really fun image. It’s printed by Chicago’s own POP!NK Editions, and Florist found a great way to make his style work in a screenprint format.  

Question 4: Vertical returns to Chicago in September for ‘Ascending,’ a group show presented at Frame Chicago in Lincoln Park. Where did the title originate, and what does it mean in this context?

When you’re looking for a name for a group show, it's always a challenge if there’s no specific theme. Nowadays, the word “emerging” is used a lot for up-and-coming artists, and then there's “established” when somebody is well-known and further into their career. The title ‘Ascending’ implies these are artists moving to the next level, whatever that level is within their career. They’re all on the rise. I really feel like “ascending” should be the word or category for many of the artists that we work with. 

We will have 45 artists in this show, each doing two works sized 11 inches by 14 inches. There'll be some names everyone will know from the long-term Vertical family of artists, but there are works from several new artists, too, including two originals from Florist — his first time exhibiting in a U.S. gallery. 

It’s a great group of artists. To me, these are must-haves for every collection. We're really excited. 

Question 5: How will you wrap up 2026? 

We are returning to Aqua Art Miami in December, and then we have a couple of projects already lined up for the first quarter of 2027, including a very special project with Flog and a solo show with Jerome Tiunayan. We’re also planning our 14th anniversary show. There’s a lot in the works.