The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation has awarded the Erasmus Prize 2021 to the British artist Grayson Perry. The theme of the 2021 Erasmus Prize is ‘The power of the image in the digital era’. At a time when we are constantly bombarded with images, Perry has developed a unique visual language, demonstrating that art belongs to everybody and should not be an elitist affair. Perry receives the prize for the insightful way he tackles questions of beauty and craftsmanship while addressing wider social and cultural issues. Grayson Perry is known for his ceramic vases, tapestries and cross-dressing as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene. Perry talks openly about the difficult times of his childhood and how these experiences have fed into his work, which therefore often addresses identity, social class and imagination. His recent documentary series, “Grayson’s Art Club” highlighted another important theme of his life’s work, that art is for everyone and can and should be open to us all. Find out more about the Erasmus Prize.
Grayson Perry Programme for Schools
In the lead-up to the award ceremony the Erasmus Prize Foundation and the British Council Netherlands invited eight schools to take part in a unique Grayson Perry Programme for Schools. This is part of our commitment to creating educational opportunities and building trust and understanding between the UK and the Netherlands. Four schools from the UK were linked to four schools in the Netherlands. The programme included an Education Pack about Grayson Perry’s work; an opportunity to take part in an online lecture by art historian Krzysztof Dobrowolski-Onclin; an assignment for students delivered by Grayson Perry himself and the opportunity for eight students to present their work directly to Grayson Perry. Download the booklet with the artworks by the 114 secondary school students from the UK and the Netherlands.