David Shrigley: Big Thumbs Up!

Investing Guide

David Shrigley is a British artist who began to gain prominence in the early 1990s. He is most well-known for his illustrations which often feature hand-written text coupled with childlike drawings, and explores themes such as mortality, loneliness, and the human condition in an absurd, humorous and often bleak manner.

_{^{Exhibition view David Shrigley: Mainly Multiples, Some Paintings & Other Stuff Too, Hang-Up Gallery, London, 2022.}}

The recent exhibition Mainly Multiples, Some Paintings & Other Stuff Too held at Hang-Up gallery is a perfect example of his output. The artworks showcase Shrigley’s earnest, but silly messages, next to brightly painted animals, figures and other everyday objects. It is this combination of qualities that has propelled Shrigley to popularity and Blue-Chip status. It is also why he has over 1 million followers on Instagram, an unusual achievement for a contemporary artist, although his work is finely tuned for this platform.

While David Shrigley may not be a household name outside of the art world, this can actually be seen as a positive from an investment perspective as there is still room for growth and increased recognition. Moreover, he is far more known and beloved in Britain than US and Asian markets, so opportunity for growth exists in these under-served domains.

For context, “David Shrigley” has less than 1K in monthly Google search volume from Canada, South Korea, and Japan, about 1K – 10K in monthly search volume from the United States and Australia, but a huge 10K – 100K from the United Kingdom.

_{^{4 of the 42 artworks Shrigley created as part of the Ruinart collaboration}}

One question for collectors to consider is; what it would take for Shrigley to become more widely known and recognizable? Will Shrigley have to collaborate with Louis Vuitton like Yayoi Kusama or H&M like Keith Haring? Shrigley has collaborated with a number of brands on commercial projects in the past, including Globetrotter, Sunspel, and Maison Ruinart.

These collaborations have helped to bring Shrigley’s work to a marginally wider audience, but they haven’t been impactful enough in my opinion.

Even if Shrigley doesn’t become a bigger household name, his credentials in the art world are solid and demand for his work is as high as it has ever been. You will be happy to know that the majority of his works currently sell for between £1,000 and £5,000, due in part to his practice of producing editioned prints (typically less than 200 prints per edition). So, it’s important to understand the size of each edition and the print run.

Additionally, prospective collectors should consider the cost of framing a Shrigley print, which is likely to be a few hundred dollars, especially if you are after a print at the lower end of the price range noted above. This is because the cost of framing ends up being a much larger portion of the overall cost of the artwork.