Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry’s oeuvre is a sprawling chronicle of modern Britain. His paintings, ceramics and tapestries feature arrangements of images and text that resemble maps or scientific diagrams. Through these recognisable forms, Grayson grapples with issues of class, politics, sex and identity. He describes himself as an “amateur sociologist, taking readings of the patterns of society and where the heat is.” Peppered amongst this social commentary are personal reflections, particularly on the question of authenticity. Grayson is intentional about making art that is honest and grows with him. “The people who think being controversial is important are those that cling on to their punk haircut into their 60s. I became a member of the establishment a long time ago.”

Although Grayson’s work documents the present, his practice is steeped in centuries of traditions. He finds kinship amongst the likes of Hieronymus Bosch, Van Eyck and other Northern Renaissance artists. He describes his practice as hobbit-like, concerned with “the craft and the kind of poetry and tradition and all those things.” This translates into the way he talks about his art too. He affectionately refers to his ceramics as pots and his tapestries as carpets, thereby challenging the distinction between the artist and the artisan. Grayson cares more about the act of making – the feel of the clay, the interplay of the threads – than what it, or he, is labelled.