RA Magazine Blog: Perry appointed an RA

Posted: 22 March 2011 by Amy Macpherson RA Website Editor

Grayson Perry attends the RA Summer Exhibition Preview Party, June 2008. Photo: MPP Image Creation Turner Prize-winner Grayson Perry is the latest artist to be elected to the ranks of the Royal Academicians.

Perry, elected in the category of Printmaking at a recent RA General Assembly, says he is "honoured, humbled and touched" to be elected by his fellow artists.

"If I am to become a pillar of the establishment, I can’t think of a better edifice to be a part of. The RA still has a vital role to play as the artists’ union and I shall enjoy adding my voice and speaking up for the visual arts," he says.

Born in Chelmsford in 1960, Perry received his BA in Fine Art from Portsmouth Polytechnic in 1982. He works in a variety of media such as photography, embroidery and ceramics. He also produces etchings and engravings. He regularly illustrates serious themes and dark subject matter, often depicting images from his personal family life to his transvestite alter-ego, Claire.

Perry has had many solo exhibitions in a number of venues across the world. He won the Turner Prize in 2003 for his use of traditional ceramics to express personal and social issues in “Boring Cool People” (1999), “Village of Penians” (2001) and “Golden Ghosts” (2001). Perry has also curated two exhibitions - Unpopular Culture, de la Warr Pavilion (then touring) (2008) and The Charms of Lincolnshire, The Collection, Lincoln (2006).

Earlier this year, Perry was a speaker at the RA's salon series for the GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity exhibition (read a report on the event here). This evening he will be the special guest speaker at the Royal Academy Schools Annual Dinner and Auction.