Grayson Perry

That’s how Grayson Perry accepted the Turner Prize in 2003.

Grayson uses ancient forms like ceramics and tapestries to document modern life in all its glorious variety. He foregrounds marginalised cultures and identities, and flips the script on so-called serious art. His openness and relatability have earned him public adoration, but the critics weren’t always convinced. One BBC reviewer wrote that “Perry's work is at risk of being overpowered by the personality and va va voom factor of Claire.”

There were many ways Grayson didn’t fit the stereotype of the serious artist.

We didn’t have any money, we were on the dole, we were squatting in central london and you could do that then. Now looking back, that’s quite a privilege. The one thing I really learned was to laugh at cool people.

Grayson worked odd jobs, went to night classes, sold his pots for thirty quid a pop and crucially, he says, married rich. He eventually rose to the top of the art world with his undeniable skill and infectious charisma, cementing his status as a national treasure.

A lot has changed on the journey from squatter to Sir – but to Grayson, that’s just human nature.