Grayson Perry CBE
Grayson Perry CBE, is an award-winning artist who works in a variety of media, including embroidery and photography, yet he is best known for his ceramic works: classically shaped vases covered with figures, patterns and text. Grayson was born in Chelmsford in 1960 and went onto study at Braintree College of Further Education and at Portsmouth Polytechnic. In 2003, he became famous as the first ceramic artist to win the Turner Prize. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to contemporary art and knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to the arts.
Alongside his art, Grayson has written and presented documentaries including an hour-long documentary for Channel 4 entitled Why Men Wear Frocks, in which he examined transvestism and masculinity in the 21st century. In the programme, Grayson spoke candidly about his own experiences and the effect it has had on him and his family. The documentary received a Royal Television Society award for Best Network Production. His 2012 series All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry received a BAFTA for Specialist Factional Television. Grayson also went onto win a Grierson Award for Documentary Presenter of the Year.
2018 sees Grayson co-ordinate the 250th Celebration of The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Along with fellow artists, Grayson handpicked over 1,300 works to make up the biggest, brightest and most colourful exhibition yet under the theme of Art Made Now.
Photos: Dominic Harris photography
In conversation with Grayson Perry at The National Gallery - October 2018
City Lit Principal Mark Malcomson in conversation with artist Grayson Perry at The National Gallery as part of the 2018 Mental Wealth Festival.
Grayson received his City Lit Lifetime Fellowship Award from his former tutor Kate Wickham.
Grayson Perry supports City Lit lipreading campaign 'Hear My Lips' - 2019
In 2019, City Lit celebrated its centenary. When it opened in 1919, City Lit offered classes in lipreading for soldiers who had acquired hearing loss from shelling in the First World War. And in 2019 launched its #HearMyLips lipreading campaign.
Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry CBE RA, said: ‘By 2031 one in five of us will have hearing loss so that’s 14 million people. So I want your support on the City Lit lipreading campaign Hear My Lips because this could really help you in all situations. I myself have quite significant hearing loss,and social situations can be very tricky even with hearing aids. So support the City Lit Hear My Lips lipreading campaign’.