Grayson Perry Biography

Winner of the 2003 Turner Prize, prolific contemporary artist Grayson Perry is known for his penchant for cross-dressing, his air of eccentricity, and his deviously brilliant ceramics, tapestries, paintings, etchings and limited edition prints. 

Dissecting British prejudices, fashions, and foibles, Perry juxtaposes decorative clichés with depictions of brutality. Chintzy flowers adorn weapons of war – the lion lays down with the lamb – to distort classical forms of beauty and to challenge cultural norms. 

Perry’s work is underpinned by a strong autobiographical element, as self-portraits of himself as alter-ego Claire, as well as depictions of his childhood teddy bear, Alan Measles, are repeated throughout his oeuvre, building a sense of personal and psychological continuity.