{{Short description|English artist}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Mr Doodle | honorific_suffix = | image =HK WCN 灣仔北 Wan Chai North 香港會展 HKCEC 佳士得 Christie's 拍賣前 Auction 預展 preview exhibition November 2021 SS2 259.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Artwork by Mr Doodle | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = Sam Cox | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|28|2022|10|03}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Al Mustaqeem |first1=Syraat |title=Mr Doodle: The Kent man who doodled his entire house |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/who-is-mr-doodle-the-kent-man-who-doodled-his-entire-house-b1029829.html |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Evening Standard |date=3 October 2022}}</ref> | birth_place = | baptised = <!-- will not display if birth_date is entered --> | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} --> | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | education = | alma_mater = UWE Bristol<ref name="BBC_tele">{{cite news |last1=Darby |first1=Elliot |title=Mr Doodle transforms a telephone box in Bath city centre |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-somerset-68923223 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=BBC News |date=3 May 2024 |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809074138/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-somerset-68923223 |url-status=live }}</ref> | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | movement = Doodle | spouse = Alena<ref name=Fuller>{{cite news |last1=Fuller |first1=Christian |title=Documentary made about doodle artist |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd13nd31zpyo |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=BBC |date=12 April 2024 |archive-date=29 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729101909/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd13nd31zpyo |url-status=live }}</ref> | partner = | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | family = | awards = <!-- {{awd|award|year|title|role|name}} (optional) --> | signature = | signature_type = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | elected = | patrons = | memorials = | website = {{Official URL}} | module = }}
'''Sam Cox''' (born 1993 or 1994), known professionally as '''Mr Doodle''', is an illustrator and artist from Kent, England. He is known for his "graffiti spaghetti" style, and in 2024 had an exhibition at the Holburne Museum in Bath.<ref name="BBC_tele"/><ref name="Moore">{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Steven |title=Henry Moore's miniature sculptures celebrated in Bath show |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/may/04/henry-moore-miniature-mr-doodle-bath-holburne-museum |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2024}}</ref>
==Biography== Cox is from Kent, England, and studied as an illustrator at the University of the West of England in Bristol.<ref name="Moore"/> His style of art is monochromatic doodles termed as "graffiti spaghetti". Initially struggling, selling artworks for £1, he went on to gain social media attention, with {{circa|3 million}} followers on Instagram, and international recognition. It has been reported that his artworks have sold for {{circa|£1 million}}, and in 2020 he was positioned 5th worldwide for art auction sales of artists under 40.<ref name=Fuller/><ref name="Moore"/><ref name=Anderson/><ref name=Cumber>{{cite news |last1=Cumber |first1=Robert |title="I started off trading my art on the street for food and drink, now it sells for up to $1m" |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/mr-doodle-i-started-off-selling-my-art-on-the-street-for-ps1-now-it-fetches-up-to-1m-4665313 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Star |date=14 June 2024 |archive-date=15 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615022117/https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/mr-doodle-i-started-off-selling-my-art-on-the-street-for-ps1-now-it-fetches-up-to-1m-4665313 |url-status=live }}</ref>
His work rate was so intense that Cox eventually experienced mental health problems, suffering from psychosis.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Segalov |first=Michael |date=2025-06-28 |title=‘I was living in Doodle Land and didn’t know how to get back’: the million-dollar artist who drew himself crazy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jun/28/mr-doodle-sam-cox-psychosis-mental-health-interview |access-date=2025-11-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-28 |title=Mr Doodle: Artist's film reveals psychotic episode |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czd54lvjnmmo |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
In 2022 it was reported he had covered "every inch" of his 6-bedroom Tenterden home, including the contents, with his style of doodles.<ref name="Fuller" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Mr. Doodles, British artist Sam Cox, covered his Kent house with drawings |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/04/uk-artist-sam-cox-doodle-home/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=4 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{cite news |last1=Feldman |first1=Ella |title=This Artist Spent Two Years Covering His Mansion in Doodles |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artist-mansion-covered-in-doodles-180980892/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Smithsonian |date=7 October 2022}}</ref> The illustrations involved "two years, 900 litres of emulsion, 401 spray-paint cans, 286 bottles of drawing paint and 2,296 pen nibs", and was reported in the Guardian newspaper as "like stepping inside a migraine".<ref>{{cite news |title=Like stepping inside a migraine – the house that is covered in doodles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/04/like-stepping-inside-a-migraine-the-house-that-is-covered-in-doodles |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=4 October 2022}}</ref>
The stop-motion film of the project achieved online popularity, and resulted in the production of the documentary film ''The Trouble With Mr Doodle'' which explored both creativity and mental health.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Muffett |first1=Tim |title=Mr Doodle: Why I covered my entire house with doodles |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-63118482 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=BBC |date=3 October 2022 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209024957/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-63118482 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Willitts |first1=Philippa |title="Difficult but fascinating": The Trouble With Mr Doodle |url=https://nowthenmagazine.com/film-reviews/difficult-but-fascinating-the-trouble-with-mr-doodle-docfest |website=Now Then |access-date=12 September 2024 |date=19 July 2024}}</ref>
In June 2024, for DocFest, Mr Doodle created the ''Doodle Dome'' in Sheffield city centre.<ref name=Cumber/> In July 2024 he covered a railway carriage in doodles for the 50th anniversary of the Kent & East Sussex Railway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kent artist doodles over entire train carriage |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2135wze3o |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=BBC |date=26 July 2024 |archive-date=6 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806025722/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2135wze3o |url-status=live }}</ref>
===''Mr Doodle! Museum Mayhem''=== From May to September 2024 the Holburne Museum in Bath, England, hosted the first museum exhibition of Mr Doodle's work, ''Mr Doodle! Museum Mayhem''.<ref name=Anderson>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Sarski |title=Mr Doodle transforms Bath's Holburne Museum for the summer |url=https://www.bristol247.com/culture/art/art-art/mr-doodle-transforms-baths-holburne-museum-for-the-summer/ |website=bristol247 |access-date=12 September 2024 |date=10 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mr Doodle! Museum Mayhem |url=https://www.holburne.org/events/mr-doodle-museum-mayhem/ |website=Holburne Museum |access-date=12 September 2024 |archive-date=7 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907031038/https://www.holburne.org/events/mr-doodle-museum-mayhem/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The exhibition included replacing several of the museum exhibits, by artists such as John Constable, with his own works.<ref name="Moore"/>
==See also== * Keith Haring
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{Commons category inline}} * {{YouTube|f7ke3HznCCo|"The Doodle House"}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Doodle, Mr}} Category:Living people Category:21st-century English male artists Category:English illustrators Category:Alumni of the University of the West of England Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Artists from Kent