David Shrigley, SERPENT, 2020

SERPENT (2020) – David Shrigley Sculpture

About the Work

SERPENT (2020) is a highly distinctive David Shrigley sculpture that subverts the classical tradition of decorative porcelain figures. Crafted from glazed white ceramic, the three-dimensional piece depicts a coiled, smiling snake adorned with minimalist cobalt blue hand-painted lines. The contrast between the pristine glaze and the deliberately naive rendering of the reptile creates a compelling tension across its tactile surface.

By transforming a historically feared creature into an unthreatening, almost pathetic object of domestic display, the work exemplifies Shrigley's embrace of absurdity. The simplified facial features and the static posture of the coiled form disarm the viewer, stripping the serpent of its biblical and mythological menace. This play on utility and fine art decoration forces a playful re-evaluation of how ornamental objects function within contemporary spaces.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, Shrigley has established himself as one of the most significant British artists of his generation. His celebrated public commissions, notably the Fourth Plinth sculpture Really Good in Trafalgar Square, have secured his place in public collections globally, including Tate and the British Council. His regular contributions to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition continue to highlight his unique position in the contemporary art landscape.

While best known for his ink drawings on paper, his translation of these flat compositions into physical space adds a new dimension to his practice. Translating the raw immediacy of his line into three-dimensional forms allows a David Shrigley sculpture to engage directly with the physical environment of the viewer. This sculptural methodology captures the same urgent, unfiltered quality that defines his wider oeuvre.

Sculpture Process

The production of SERPENT relies on a meticulous fabrication process that translates a fluid, two-dimensional sketch into a stable ceramic form. Each piece is cast in high-quality clay before being coated in a bright white glaze that is kiln-fired to achieve its glossy, reflective surface. The delicate cobalt blue detailing is then applied, requiring a controlled hand to mimic the deliberate imperfections of the artist's signature drawing style.

Maintaining the illusion of quick, unstudied creation within the demanding medium of fired clay is a significant technical achievement. This David Shrigley limited edition sculpture was produced in collaboration with the renowned publisher AllRightsReserved, ensuring the highest standards of production. The finished work successfully retains the human touch, showing how industrial processes can be guided to preserve individual expression.

Collectability

Sculptural editions by the artist occupy a particularly sought-after niche within the contemporary market, often attracting intense collector interest upon release. Because three-dimensional works are produced far less frequently than his works on paper, they represent highly distinctive additions to private collections. The immediately recognisable visual language of the artist ensures these physical objects function as instant focal points.

Representing a significant release from his celebrated institutional period of the late 2010s and early 2020s, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of his sculptural output. With an edition size of just 250, SERPENT is increasingly difficult to source on the secondary market. As institutions continue to acquire his multi-medium outputs, these early dimensional releases maintain a strong market presence.