A conversation with David Shrigley about his solo exhibition ‘People Reveal Themselves Slowly’ at Galleri Nicolai Wallner.

With this exhibition, David Shrigley introduces a collaging technique into his works on paper. Incorporating cutouts of his own painted element into his established drawing practice, he deftly layers them in ways that feel both chaotic yet deeply intimate, enveloping us in a thought or a moment. This is echoed in Shrigley’s bold use of large brushstrokes in pinks, blues, yellows and greens, often covering the majority of the paper, drawing us in and in a way blocking everything else out, allowing us to interact with the works one at a time.

The result is an incredibly immersive experience, and one that is ultimately very human.

David Shrigley OBE (b. 1968, UK) has received international and critical acclaim for his work, with many notable solo and group exhibitions worldwide. He was nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize Award in 2013, following his major mid-career retrospective at the Hayward Gallery (London). In 2016, David Shrigley’s seven meter tall “thumbs up” sculpture was unveiled in Trafalgar Square, for the Fourth Plinth Commission. Shrigley’s works are found in prominent collections around the world, including Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate Britain (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Museum Ludwig (Cologne) and the National Gallery of Denmark (Copenhagen) among many others. In 2020, Shrigley was awarded an OBE Officer of the Order of the British Empire in The Queen’s New Years Honours list for services to Visual Arts.

The gallery has had the pleasure of collaborating with David Shrigley since 1996.