David Shrigley

Black and White and Black

David Shrigley (b. 1968, England) is a visual artist whose practice encompasses drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, animation and installation. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and has exhibited internationally since the mid-1990s.

His work taps into the immediate appeal of contemporary visual culture, reaching an audience far beyond the commercial art world. He distances himself from the self-consciousness and professionalism that characterize much of today’s art, preferring instead a dysfunctional aesthetic inspired by doodling, vandalism, and graffiti.

Shrigley is best known for his drawings, which are characterised by their deliberately simple, hand-drawn style and dark, dry humour. His work often combines text and imagery to explore human behaviour and the absurdities of contemporary life. He comments on the world around him using nihilistic wit, wordplay, and questions that compel us to examine both ourselves and our surroundings.

Beyond being exhibited in art institutions and galleries around the world, his drawings have appeared in numerous popular contexts, such as on T-shirts, record covers, and greeting cards. In Copenhagen, Shrigley and gallerist Nicolai Wallner opened a shop called Shrig Shop, selling his art in the form of posters, postcards, clothing, and more.

Ystad Art Museum presents nine original monotypes from Shrigley’s series "Black and White and Black".

David Shrigley has held solo exhibitions worldwide, including at Copenhagen Contemporary, the National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne), YBCA (San Francisco), Museum Ludwig (Cologne), and Dundee Contemporary Arts. His work is held in major international collections, including Tate, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; and TBA21, Madrid.