"IT IS IT: Hand-Painted Tie-Dyes" is a project that David Shrigley and his team had been working on for some time and are the first wearable painted artworks the artist has ever made, released on 5 June 2026.
David and his studio meticulously hand-dyed 100 individual t-shirts in an extensive range of tie-dye patterns and eye-popping colour combinations in all different sizes.
Each t-shirt was then individually hand-painted by David with the words "IT IS IT" as the finishing touch.
Each t-shirt then had a label signed and numbered by David sewn into the neck. Each one is also accompanied by a certificate of authentication signed and numbered by the artist.
No two t-shirts are the same, each one is entirely unique in one size only with sizes range from XS to 2XL.
HOW WERE THE TIE-DYES MADE?
They are just so beautiful, so did David and his studio make these fabulous creations? The tie-dye process is labour intensive but produces stunning often unexpected results.
First a plain white t-shirt is soaked in soda ash solution, so the fabric absorbs the colour deeply and evenly. Then the t-shirt is folded into one of three signature patterns — spiral, dandelion, or stained glass — securing it with rubber bands. Each section is then coloured with fabric dye by hand.
The t-shirt rests in a sealed bag for at least 12 hours to let the colours fully set. It is then rinsed and washed in a Synthrapol solution to lock in the colour vibrancy.
The t-shirt is hung out to dry, ready to be painted by David with the words "IT IS IT". A woven label, signed and numbered by David, is then sewn into the t-shirt neckline, and voila! It is it.
Details
100% organic cotton
Hand dyed with jacquard procion mx dye
Hand painted with vallejo textile paint
Signed and numbered with COA
100 unique pieces
►► See all 100 tie-dye designs here