Foka Wolf Print: Impossible Maze at Ikon Gallery

Last updated: 13 October 2026

What the Foka Wolf print shows

A dense red maze covers almost all of the sheet, set inside a wide black border. The paths twist and double back, but none of them reaches an exit.

Each copy also carries the phrase "Who cares?", which Foka Wolf draws on by hand in UV ink. UV ink shows up most strongly under ultraviolet light, so in an ordinary room the words are easy to miss.

Why it was made

Ikon made the edition for Foka Wolf's 2023 exhibition Why Are We Stuck in Hospital?. The show grew out of research by the School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, which worked with the rights-based organisation Changing Our Lives as well.

The research looked at the 2,000 people with learning disabilities or autism who live in long-stay hospitals. Many of them stay for years, often with no planned date to leave. Foka Wolf built the show around this maze with no exit. It appeared in the gallery and also on billboards across inner-city Birmingham.

Who Foka Wolf is

Foka Wolf is a Birmingham artist and activist. He is best known for spoof adverts, which Ikon calls "subvertisements". He pastes them on hoardings, windows and walls to point at political and social problems. Ikon describes his work as "scathing but comic commentary".

Key facts

• Artist: Foka Wolf
• Title: Impossible Maze, 2023
• Medium: A3 digital print, with "Who cares?" hand-drawn in UV ink
• Size: A3, 42 x 29.7cm (16.5 x 11.7in)
• Edition: 50, signed and numbered by the artist
• Price: £50
• Sold by: Ikon Gallery, registered charity 528892

Who it suits

• A first signed edition: £50 for a signed, numbered print is low for a public gallery.
• Anyone from Birmingham: it comes from a Birmingham artist and a Birmingham gallery, about people in the city's hospitals.
• People who like art with a point: the image and the hidden words are both about a real problem.

The catches

Postage is worked out at checkout from the size, weight and address, so the total is more than £50. Ikon aims to deliver UK orders in three to five working days.

The hand-drawn words need UV light to stand out, so under a normal bulb you mostly see the maze.

At A3, it suits a shelf, a hallway or a small wall.

See the Foka Wolf print at Ikon Gallery

It is one of the cheaper signed editions in our guide to the best affordable art in the UK.

FAQs

How much is the Foka Wolf Impossible Maze print?

£50, plus postage worked out at checkout. I checked the price on the Ikon shop on 13 October 2026.

Is the Foka Wolf print signed?

Yes. All 50 are signed and numbered by the artist.

What does "Who cares?" refer to?

Foka Wolf draws the phrase on each copy in UV ink. It comes from his 2023 Ikon show about people stuck in long-stay hospitals.

How big is Impossible Maze?

A3, which is 42 x 29.7cm, or 16.5 x 11.7in.

Where can I buy it?

From the Ikon Gallery shop online. You can also visit Ikon in Brindleyplace, Birmingham.

More from CoolCuration

• Gifts that give back: presents that put money towards a good cause.
• Corbin Shaw Hard Cash: another edition from an artist who works with slogans.
• theprintspace discount code: money off framing for an A3 print.
• Hospital Rooms poster sale: artist posters that fund art on NHS mental health wards.
• Gifts for artists: more presents for people who love art.

Prices, stock and delivery charges can change. Ikon Gallery and Foka Wolf do not choose what we feature.

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