Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences opens at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery this July–December 2024.
For the first time, this exhibition brings the Turner-Prize-winning artist’s six large-scale tapestries to a building where William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress, the inspiration behind Perry’s tapestries, were purchased for and displayed.
Sir Grayson Perry CBE RA Hon FRIBA is an internationally celebrated chronicler of contemporary life, drawing us into intricately designed works of art with wit and nostalgia. In his work, Perry tackles subjects that are universally human: identity, gender, social status, sexuality and religion. Autobiographical references—to the artist’s childhood, his family, and his cross-dressing—can be read in tandem with questions about décor and decorum, class and taste, and the status of the artist versus that of the artisan. The exhibition invites viewers to consider their own connections with the tapestries’ vivid storytelling and rich, allegorical imagery.