Grayson
Perry

Perry was born in Chelmsford, Essex in 1960 to a working class family. Though he does not describe his childhood as enjoyable, he kindled a love for ceramics and discovered transvestism during this time. His mother did not approve of the latter and after being kicked out of the home Perry decided to pursue becoming an artist.

Perry studied at Braintree College of Further Education from 1978, and received a BA in Fine Art from Portsmouth Polytechnic (now the University of Portsmouth) in 1982.

One of Perry’s most famous vases is his 2011 Rosetta Vase, currently held by the British Museum. Originally made as part of an exhibition that Perry himself helped to curate: 'Tomb Of The Unknown Craftsman', this vase is bright yellow, decorated with blue images and text with iconography inspired by objects in the surrounding museum.

Perry also created the monumental Walthamstow Tapestry in 2009, which explores the emotional resonance of brand names in our lives and our relationship to consumerism. 15 by 3 metres, the tapestry can be read left to right and loosely outlines the seven stages of man while hundreds of brand names and buzz words surround these central figures. Currently held in the Netherlands, this work bears particular resonance with British viewers who recognise its references, notably to the suburb of Walthamstow itself, where Perry held a studio for many years.

Perry draws influence from a wide range of sources, particularly when it comes to the iconography on his ceramics, yet his experiences of life in Britain and the social issues that affect the fabric of British society seem to be a recurring theme in his work. An early vase, I Was An Angry Working Class Man, 2001, demonstrates this, with motorbikes, pub signs and a pit-bull terrier all depicting recognisable features of Perry’s Essex upbringing.

Similarly, Perry’s response to Brexit in 2017 saw him create a pair of vases showing the supporters of the leave and remain campaigns respectively. He crowdsourced the imagery and ideas used to decorate the vases through social media channels and tours of the country, gleaning influence from the public’s response to questions such as 'what makes you British?'. Large in size and extremely similar in their decoration, Perry named the set Matching Pair.

While Perry is known for working across a variety of media, he is best known for his ceramic vases. Classically shaped earthenware reminiscent of Ancient Greek works are turned on their head by Perry’s decoration: where bright colours and contemporary iconography are used to comment on present-day issues or personal experience as well as to modernise one’s interpretation of pottery as a medium.

Indeed, Perry leans into the notion of ceramic work’s secondary status as an artistic form, using it to explore poignant, witty or often difficult themes while still maintaining a recognisable sense of ‘humility’ associated with pottery. In this sense, Perry’s ceramics are what he considers to be a ‘Guerilla Tactic’ for creating art that engages with difficult social issues through what is ostensibly a traditional or non-threatening medium.

Throughout the 1990s, Perry also worked in tapestry and costume, creating works like the  Mother Of All Battles, (1996) which was a traditional women’s folk costume, onto which Perry stitched images of weapons and murder alongside ethnic symbols.

Following his graduation from art school, Perry began taking evening classes while squatting in the Camden area, and during this period of relative poverty Perry’s more serious interest in ceramics formed. He also maintained his interest in transvestism, frequently appearing as his alter ego Claire, whom Perry describes as being a '19th Century reforming matriarch, a middle England protester for 'No More Art,' an aero-model-maker or an Eastern European freedom fighter.' Perry designs many of Claire’s outfits himself and she is also involved in many of his artworks - for example she poses with a gun while modelling Perry’s Mother Of All Battles dress.

Perry now resides in North London with his wife Phillipa, with whom he has a daughter, Florence. He remains heavily invested in social issues and is an active member of the Labour Party. His books ‘Cycle Of Violence,’ ‘Playing To The Gallery’ and his autobiography ‘Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Girl’, have all been largely well received. In 2013 Perry received a CBE for his contributions to British art.