Art Basel Hong Kong

For Art Basel Hong Kong 2021, Stephen Friedman Gallery is pleased to present a solo presentation of new and recent works by British artist David Shrigley. The booth brings together Shrigley's iconic drawing and print practice and his large-scale neon works. All works on display are reserved for visitors and collectors from Asia during the two preview days of the fair.

One highlight of the presentation is the launch of a new colourful screen print in an edition of 125 created especially for the fair. Once the fair is open to the public further editions will be released to collectors worldwide.

Shrigley is renowned for his works that make satirical comments on everyday situations and human interactions. The focus of the display consists of forty unique A3 drawings rendered in black and white as well as colour which have never been offered before for sale. The artist's drawings created in black ink are typically accompanied by writing in the form of a question, confession or explanatory note with a faux-naive quality, while the colour works capture childlike ideas and snippets of conversation. These works on paper are available to collectors at a price of £3,200 +VAT. Also on display is a neon work which humorously undermines formal associations with signs or advertisements. Available as an edition of three, this vibrant, witty work brings a playful energy to the presentation.

All the artworks presented are available to purchase directly through scanning three unique QR codes, one for the print, one for the neon work and one for the drawings. Shrigley provides guidance in his signature satirical style in the form of wall vinyl text, rendered in his own distinctive handwriting. This innovative format chimes with Shrigley's immediate visual language and extends his interest in operating beyond the conventional gallery space. 

The presentation coincides with Shrigley’s project for Maison Ruinart, where he was named Artist Carte Blanche in 2020. David Shrigley will present solo exhibitions at Stephen Friedman Gallery in November 2021 and at K Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul in December 2021. 

David Shrigley was born in 1968 in Macclesfield, UK. He lives and works in Brighton, UK. Shrigley was a Turner Prize nominee in 2013, following his major mid-career retrospective at the Hayward Gallery, London titled ‘Brain Activity'. In September 2016, his monumental sculpture ‘Really Good' was unveiled in Trafalgar Square, London for the Fourth Plinth Commission. From 2015 to 2018 the British Council-organised exhibition 'Lose Your Mind' travelled to six venues including Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China; Storage by Hyundai Card in Seoul, Korea and Instituto-Cultural-Cabañas in Guadalajara, Mexico. In January 2020 Shrigley was awarded the decoration of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or OBE. The artist currently has an on-going presentation in the Gallery at Sketch, London as part of a long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants.