"Rarely have I been to a show that had such a nice vibe."
Laura Freeman, The Times

This comprehensive exhibition, which encompassed more than eighty works, was developed in close collaboration with the artist and Victoria Miro gallery. Instead of being presented chronologically, the show offered a journey through the main themes of Perry’s provocative art, including masculinity, sexuality, class, religion, politics and identity. Grayson Perry | Smash Hits displayed subversive pots, intricate prints, elaborate sculptures, and huge, captivating tapestries – all imbued with Perry’s sharp wit and social commentary.

Grayson Perry | Smash Hits brought together all the artist’s meticulously detailed prints and imaginary maps. The exhibition featured many of his tapestries, such as the rarely shown Walthamstow Tapestry (2009) which, at 15-metres in length, presents birth-to-death journey through shopping and brand names. Visitors also encountered the intricate cast-iron ship, Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman (2011) which was the centrepiece of Perry’s 2011 exhibition of the same name at the British Museum. The tomb is a memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen of history. Two rooms centred on the monumental tapestry series: Vanity of Small Differences (2012), which focus on class and are loosely based on William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress, as well as House for Essex tapestries (2015), which explore the life of a fictional Essex woman Julie Cope.

"The Hogarth of Modern Britain"
Waldemar Januszczak, The Sunday Times

The final room exhibited new works made in the past few months especially for the exhibition. These included a richly detailed tapestry, a large woodcut print, and pots and plates which explore themes of national identity. Perry’s latest pots, in the form of medieval beer flagons, are decorated with traditional slipware techniques and reference subjects ranging from the polarising effect of internet debate to heraldic iconography. This room also included objects chosen from his recent Channel 4 docuseries Grayson Perry’s Full English. Perry travelled around the country to try and uncover what Englishness means today. He invited interviewees to select personal items which to them represented Englishness. Piqued by the opportunity to show some of these items, alongside his new works on Englishness in Scotland, Perry has included various objects from a pub sign to a football flag, and a teacup to a letter from the Queen.

This exhibition  was sponsored by Jigsaw Foundation and Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland, and is organised with the support of Victoria Miro and Paragon Press.