David Shrigley, No One Is Happier Than Me, 2022

No One Is Happier Than Me (2022) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

No One Is Happier Than Me (2022) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that juxtaposes a bizarre, multi-coloured creature against a deeply saturated, minimalist background. Executed with eleven distinct layers of ink, the composition commands attention through its vivid palette of electric blue, primary yellow, and stark black line work. The surreal anatomy of the central figure stands as a testament to the artist's signature aesthetic, combining crude figuration with a sophisticated graphic sensibility.

By pairing the creature's wide, staring eye with the declarative text, the work explores the sheer absurdity of forced optimism in the modern age. This tension between the overt declaration of joy and the strange, slightly unsettling form of the subject invites viewers to question the authenticity of public emotion. Through these simplified forms, the print masterfully encapsulates a shared contemporary anxiety beneath its seemingly playful surface.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, the celebrated British artist has carved out a unique position in the international contemporary art landscape. His monumental public commission, Really Good, occupied the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square, securing his status as a vital voice in modern British satire. Today, his works are held in prestigious public institutions worldwide, including the Tate Collection and the British Council.

The translation of rapid, ink-on-paper sketches into formal editions requires an intimate understanding of graphic balance. Each David Shrigley print preserves the raw, immediate energy of his original drawings whilst elevating the imagery through immaculate production standards. This tension between high-art execution and low-art aesthetics remains central to his enduring appeal among collectors globally.

Screenprint Process

Utilising an intricate eleven-colour screenprinting process, this edition showcases a remarkable depth of colour and texture that is impossible to replicate with digital printing. The heavy Somerset tub-sized 410gsm paper provides a robust, velvety substrate that perfectly absorbs the thick layers of ink. Each application of pigment is meticulously registered to ensure the bold lines and flat planes of colour retain their crisp, graphic boundaries.

Collaborating with the master printers at Jealous Gallery in London, the artist leverages the screenprint medium to capture the precise quality of his spontaneous mark-making. This meticulous production method ensures that every David Shrigley limited edition print possesses a tactile presence that echoes the immediacy of his studio practice. Through this physical depth, the final edition becomes a finished, monumental object in its own right.

Collectability

Contemporary collectors are drawn to works that feature the artist's most iconic combinations of hand-rendered text and anthropomorphic figures. The immediate recognisability of these compositions has fuelled a robust secondary market, with demand consistently outstripping supply for his most popular releases. Such pieces act as definitive markers of twenty-first-century satire, making them highly sought after for both private and institutional collections.

Representing a major colour work from his highly active 2022 printing period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of his graphic output. Because No One Is Happier Than Me was restricted to an edition of just 125, opportunities to acquire this specific composition have become increasingly scarce. This low edition size, combined with the work's thematic strength, ensures its continued appeal among astute collectors of contemporary printmaking.