Grayson Perry was born in Chelmsford, Essex in 1960. He was encouraged to study art early on by his teacher, and he went on to graduate from Portsmouth College of Art and Design in 1982.

He subsequently lived in a squat with a young performance art movement in London and experimented with different art mediums and subjects including film-making and drawing, and created some of his first ceramics.

Perry studied the craft of pottery to a high level of proficiency and skillfully creates classic designs using a coiling technique. He decorates with medulas (3D shapes), text, drawings, photographic overlays, and surface carving (sgraffiato) along with cuts, stamps, inlays, and textures. He finishes using various glazes and firing processes. He views his vases and pots as only a small percent of his total creative process and refers to them as a vehicle for the subjects and messages he is interested in portraying, which are often autobiographical, socially sensitive, violent, or extreme in some way.

The result is a deceptive juxtaposition which Perry refers to as a 'guerrilla tactic' to gain attention for the ideas and thoughts his artwork conveys. At first glance, the viewer experiences a beautifully finished classical ceramic piece, but on closer inspection, scenes and imagery depicting sexual references, pain, despair, distortion, fun and modern social commentary become apparent.

Perry also turns his subject matter into textiles by using modern techniques to create tapestry. He uses design software to digitally generate the artwork, and computer controlled looms to create the finished tapestries. In 2009 Perry created a fifteen metre long hanging piece entitled The Walthamstow Tapestry. The piece features modern scenes, brand names and figures depicting a life story from birth until death. As with his ceramics, Perry presents his visual art through a traditional medium which lifts decorative or functional items into the realms of an art piece. He went on to create printed textile pieces, and further tapestries using the same process.

Unlike some successful artists, Perry creates everything himself and doesn't employ studio assistants. He dismisses the aim of purposefully looking for originality, and likes mistakes or wrong turns during a new creative process to be his own as this often results in a particular style. He cites hard graft and putting in the hours as a prerequisite for working this way, meaning the volume of output is limited, but the outcome is more satisfying.

Grayson Perry stands out from many other artists because of the medium he uses and the way he manipulates his skills as a craftsman, and as an expressive visual artist. He physically makes valid classical design pieces into art as opposed to using found items, or creating abstract art which makes his work far more accessible.

Freedom of expression is a large part of who Grayson Perry is. He lives his own fantasies and is true to himself. His life and work are intrinsically connected and he presents his own creative world complete with personal references and fictional characters. Perry is open and candid about his personal life and talks about times that were sometimes difficult when growing up. References from childhood memories and life experiences often surface in his works, and as recurring entities in his life (such as his teddy bear - Alan Measles). He is also a great communicator and applies a realistic and down-to-earth approach to the subjects he talks about. Maintaining a sense of humour about things is important to him, and he has an unpretentious attitude when it comes to art and the art world.

Perry is an open cross-dresser and uses the name Claire when he is dressed in feminine clothing. However, the transformation stops there. He remains as he is - there is no pretence and he doesn't try to be a woman. He describes himself as a man in a dress. Claire is a kitsch and colourful creation and dresses in clothes designed by Perry, or by fashion students at Central Saint Martins art college. Perry often appears as Claire for public events including the acceptance ceremony when he won the Turner Prize in 2003. He dressed as a more subdued Claire and was accompanied by his wife (an author and psychotherapist) and daughter (an illustrator and writer) when he received the CBE from Prince Charles for contributions to the arts in 2013.

His ability to express himself and the publicity surrounding his Turner Prize win resulted in a higher profile and the undertaking of new and more diverse projects including an architectural commission, A House for Essex (also known as Julie's House) in 2015 along with various radio and TV appearances in shows and documentaries. He is also a writer and gives lectures about art and his approach.

If you are an aspiring artist in any medium, Perry's lectures and interviews can be an inspiration for those looking for the right mind-set in terms of attitude. As a broadcaster, he communicates his views on life and society in a clear and considered way that is both thought provoking and entertaining.

There is no official website, but there are Twitter and Instagram accounts. Lectures and interviews are available through video sharing platforms.

By Matt Sheen October MMXX - See video playlist for references

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