黑料不打烊

The Monnaie de Paris is organising the first major solo exhibition in France by the celebrated British artist Grayson Perry (born 1960, lives in London). Perry鈥檚 works in traditional materials such as ceramics, bronze, cast iron, printmaking and tapestry, offer an ironic and darkly humorous look at universal topics such as identity, gender, class, religion and sexuality.

Perry鈥檚 honest and candid unpacking of his own identity is part of what drives his appeal far beyond the confines of the art world. Autobiographical references 鈥� to the artist鈥檚 childhood, his family and his transvestite alter ego Claire 鈥� can be read in tandem with questions about d茅cor and decorum, class and taste, and the status of the artist versus that of the artisan. 

In several of his works he challenges traditional masculinity and demonstrates how its values and traits have been eroded. These themes are further explored in his book The Descent of Man (2016), in which he explores the ways in which rigid masculine roles can be destructive and suggests an upgrade of masculine identity.

The winner of the Turner Prize in 2003, Perry made his name with his ceramic works, which he began in the 1980s at a time when ceramics were little considered in the contemporary art world. Covered with sgraffito drawings, handwritten and stencilled texts, photographic transfers and rich glazes, Perry鈥檚 detailed pots are deeply alluring. Only when we are up close do we start to absorb narratives that might allude to complex subjects, and, even then, the narrative flow can be hard to discern. He uses the seductive qualities of ceramics and other art forms to communicate his thoughts on society.

The exhibition will occupy the two floors of the Monnaie de Paris and be divided into ten themed chapters that reveal the artist鈥檚 interests.