David Shrigley, I Am Elegant, 2021

I Am Elegant (2021) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

I Am Elegant (2021) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that juxtaposes stark, saturated colour with the artist's signature raw draftsmanship. The composition features a spindly, multi-legged black creature rendered in expressive ink strokes, confidently striding across a vivid yellow background. This bold chromatic choice amplifies the minimalist design, immediately drawing the eye to the central figure and the hand-rendered text floating above it.

Through the lens of absurdity, the work explores the comical disjunction between self-perception and physical reality. The creature, despite its chaotic and misshapen anatomy, claims supreme poise through the declaration "I Am Elegant" scrawled in defiant capital letters. By contrasting the clumsy, insectoid form with an assertion of grace, the piece offers a witty reflection on the arbitrary nature of beauty standards.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured a celebrated position in contemporary British art through his dry, satirical observations of daily life. His public commissions, notably the monumental Really Good bronze thumb on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth, demonstrate his capacity to engage audiences far beyond traditional gallery spaces. Today, his work is held in prestigious public collections globally, including Tate and the British Council.

His practice translates the immediacy of ink-on-paper drawing into highly tactile multiples. Each David Shrigley print preserves the energetic imperfections of his original sketches, elevating casual thoughts into objects of fine art. This deliberate preservation of the artist's hand ensures that the graphic urgency of his message remains undiluted.

Screenprint Process

Heavyweight Somerset Tub Sized 410gsm paper provides the tactile foundation for this exquisite edition, offering a rich, velvety texture that supports the dense application of ink. The printing process utilises highly pigmented, matte screenprinting inks to achieve a flat, immersive field of canary yellow that contrasts sharply with the rich black lines. A subtle protective glaze protects the surface, ensuring the longevity of the intense colour saturation.

Published by London's renowned Jealous Gallery, the production demonstrates a meticulous mastery of the screenprinting medium. This David Shrigley limited edition print captures the fine granular textures of the original ink wash, translating a fleeting drawing into a refined graphic statement. Collaborating closely with master printers, the studio has achieved a perfect balance of saturated background and crisp, tactile line work.

Collectability

Highly sought after for their iconic combination of text and graphic imagery, these editions enjoy a robust secondary-market presence globally. The artist's distinctive animals and text-based motifs remain highly prioritised by collectors due to their instant recognisability and universal appeal. As a result, his graphic works continue to attract strong collector interest at major international auctions.

Representing a highly popular animal motif from his celebrated 2021 printmaking period, I Am Elegant is a particularly desirable example of the artist's modern output. Released in an edition of 125, the scarcity of this print has contributed to its continued appeal among institutional and private collectors alike. Its inclusion in a private collection offers a classic distillation of the dark humour that defines his internationally recognised oeuvre.