Today, Grayson Perry’s art is instantly associated to colourful and witty ceramic vases, intricate tapestries and sardonic prints. Winning the Turner Prize in 2003 ensured Perry’s celebrity status in both the art world and in the mainstream media. His win was controversial not only because this was the first time the award was given to a ceramic artist, but because of Perry’s public transvestism. The judge’s verdict took hours longer than usual, but they eventually cited his 'uncompromising engagement with personal and social concerns' as reason for his win. This victory really cemented Perry’s status as a disruptor of mainstream expression and as a key player in the contemporary arts scene.

Perry's exploration of masculinity goes beyond the aesthetic domain, planting itself firmly within the realm of cultural critique. His artworks, traditionally ceramics but also tapestries and prints, are often clear commentaries on established gender norms: presenting a vision of masculinity that is complex and multifaceted. Rather than viewing masculinity as a monolith, Perry uses his work to unravel its layers, exposing a spectrum of masculinity that intersects with other components of identity.

Having cross-dressed most of his life, Perry’s own identity also reflects his exploration of masculinity. The artist often appears in public as ‘Claire’, his alter ego who dresses in flamboyant costumes and takes on varying feminine aesthetics. Perry has designed many of Claire’s outfits himself and assumed the character of Claire at major events, adding a personal and performative layer to his exploration of masculinity. Explaining that cross-dressing contains sexual appeal but does not reflect a deeper desire to become a female (or even dress a woman full-time), Perry’s adoption of feminine clothing at times deepens the exploration of his own masculinity as a complex, changeable experience.

Perry's art is marked by his consistent engagement with the core themes of identity, contemporary society, masculinity and social class. These themes are woven through his body of work, tying his artistry into an incisive narrative that communicates a potent social commentary.

Perry's influences are as diverse, spanning his own childhood to academic art history references. His upbringing in a turbulent family environment has notably marked his work, often manifesting in his artwork as complex narratives that explore issues of power, class and status.

Another influential layer of Perry's identity comes from his experience as a cross-dresser. As one of the most visible male figures to embody this in early 2000s Britain, Perry has become synonymous with a national dialogue around gender, presenting a documentary entitled Why Men Wear Frocks for Channel 4 in 2005. Drawing on his own life, Perry discussed the challenges and pleasures he’d faced as a cross-dresser, using it as a vehicle to examine masculinity in Britain at the beginning of the 21st century.

Of course, Perry’s relationship with gender presentation extends beyond the limelight. Cross-dressing has been a part of his life since early childhood, and the resulting evolution of his identity and sexuality deeply informs his approach to gender in his artwork. The figure of ‘Claire,’ his alter ego, is an organic construction dating back to Perry’s early days in London. Today, she continues to help Perry disrupt and challenge the traditional notions of masculinity, layering his heterosexual male self with a female gender presentation. His exploration of his own gender identity elevates his art beyond mere aesthetics, transforming it into a defiant act of self-expression and social critique.