David Shrigley

David Shrigley (b. 1968, Macclesfield, UK) is an acclaimed British artist known for his wry humor, incisive observations, and deceptively simple works. Living and working in Brighton and Devon, UK, Shrigley was awarded the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2020 for his contributions to contemporary art.

Shrigley’s signature style—marked by raw, hand-drawn illustrations and punchy, offbeat text—distills life’s absurdities into their most direct and comical forms. His works often feel like overheard thoughts brought to life, revealing the strange, fleeting, and hilarious nature of human existence. From alien-like perspectives to chaotic inner monologues, his art treads the line between the mundane and the surreal.

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, Shrigley cemented his reputation with the celebrated mid-career retrospective Brain Activity at London’s Hayward Gallery. His bold and unconventional spirit was on full display with his 2016 work Really Good, a towering thumbs-up sculpture commissioned for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth and later featured at the 2023 NGV Triennial in Melbourne, Australia. Other major projects include his reinvention of The Gallery at sketch, London (2018), and the global British Council-organized exhibition Lose Your Mind (2015–2018).

Shrigley’s prolific career includes solo exhibitions at leading institutions worldwide, such as Copenhagen Contemporary, Denmark (2020); Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City (2019); and National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2014). His work is held in prominent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate, London; and Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.

With a relentless curiosity and an unfiltered eye for the absurd, David Shrigley continues to challenge conventions and bring unexpected joy and dark humor to contemporary art.