This is a post moved from my old blog: https://uzulblog.wixsite.com/uzul
Born in a suburbanised part of Essex in 1960, Grayson Perry grew up as a seemingly average boy in a seemingly average family - but he had a flourishing imagination soon to be valued by many in the country.
Today, Perry is known as an eccentric character that produces opinion-altering, sometimes controversial art. But it wasn't always this way.
Difficult family life led to Grayson and Alan Measles (his teddy, of course) slipping away into a fantasy world in the garden shed, allowing his mind to think of things a lot of other people don't think about.
As a teenager Perry discovered he enjoyed wearing women's clothing, and to this day he has a feminine alter ego - affectionately named Claire. This helps him today to spread his message about masculinity: 'I like to show people how manly I am. I am a man in a dress, and in a way it almost emphasises my masculinity.'
On top of being an artist and showcasing his work in various galleries and exhibition, he is also an author of 'The Descent of Man', which also addresses masculinity, and is a host of many Channel 4 TV shows such as 'Divided Britain', which talks about the nation's political tribes.
At first, I thought the British public wouldn't really approve of Perry's image, and many people don't. But by making these shows, he has been able to show the viewers a new way of thinking, and given them a new outlook on life.
Although he would not usually be accepted by today's society as a straight male that dresses as a woman, his way of putting across his message is so effective that more and more people are starting to side with him.
In 2003, Grayson Perry won the Turner Prize, an award for the artists of the year. The fact that Perry had won over the public almost 15 years ago shows even more that he is such a strong figure for many, yet remains a charismatic and friendly person that anyone feels comfortable around.
We can only imagine what Grayson has for us in the future, but we can all be assured it will push boundaries, and make us think of completely new concepts in order to shape a better country.
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