Wolverhampton Art Gallery: Grayson Perry and Wildlife Photography of the Year Exhibition
Grayson Perry Vanity of Small Differences
The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal
Went to the art gallery in Wolverhampton a while back now, but I recently popped back in to see a beautiful tapestry by Grayson Perry. Originally I went to see the Wildlife Photography of the Year exhibition which is on display for a short time. Absolutely amazing exhibition by the way if you have never seen any of the wildlife of the year exhibitions before I would definitely recommend looking them up and buying a book. Some amazingly talented photographers which I will talk about after Grayson Perry section. <3
Vanity of Small Differences Book
Anyways! The picture I have attached is a book I bought in college. Which actually has the Grayson Perry tapestry from the Vanity of Small Differences series which I went to see in person after all these years. I do really like this book alot, the quality is really nice and the front cover is really beautiful. The colours are strong which is visually an important part of his work and it has these fold out pages so see the full tapestries properly instead of them being squashed into a standard sized page or details getting lost within creases.
Below are a few images from the book just to show it off abit!
When I first discovered Grayson Perry in college, his work really struck me as I used to study ceramics so naturally Graysons work became an inspiration. I think what struck me the most was how his figures resembled ragdolls! I created my own ragdoll like figures which even still to this day I think they look really cool.
What strikes me is everything felt vivid yet slightly imperfect, expressive, and dressed in loud, like the mismatched outfits. There’s something both funny and a little sad about them, you know, like they’re holding onto their stories. (Barry) lots of people feel that same thing when they look at his work as I have spoken to a few people before fellow artists and art professionals ect as well as things I've read things online, they have said they like the strange mix of comfort and discomfort, as if the characters are trying to tell you something in their own odd way.
Seeing one of the tapestries from the series in person was a completely different experience. The piece on display was "The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal" I honestly photographs and books don’t quite prepare you for how big it was measuring at 6.5 ft by 13 ft. (Wolverhampton Art Gallery) The colours are just as vivid, and the level of detail is beautiful to see in person; there’s so much story that you’re constantly being pulled from one side to the another especially due to the size of it. It felt like a new environment you have stepped into.
The Vanity of small Differences tells the story of a character named Tim Rakewell, based on the idea of someone moving through different social classes. From a working-class to a wealthy lifestyle, and how that changes the way he sees himself. (Arts Council Collection) He was loosely based on people Tim met while travelling around England. In short, the story is that Tim grew up in a working class family in Sunderland and then became successful through tech and social mobility, but then ended up in a tragic car crash. (“The Vanity of Small Differences”)
Grayson Perry’s work feels like this bold mix of humour, honesty, and chaos. I enjoy looking at the Vanity of Small Differences collection; it honestly stands out to me among all his works because it’s not just about class or taste, it’s about how people build their identity around those things without realising it, and you can almost feel the mix of pride and insecurity woven into it. (Tate)
"We've Found The Body Of Your Child" by Grayson Perry 2000
So another important part of Grayson Perry's work is ceramics. I used to enjoy pottery and ceramics. I did classes for a while and I made sculptures inspired by these ragdoll style people, using bold colours and textures in a similar style to the characters seem in the tapestry. What I love most is how he isn’t afraid of clashing, like his colours and patterns almost fight each other, but somehow it just works.
"Golden Globes" by Grayson Perry 2000
Because I studied ceramics, it’s impossible not to connect with his pottery in the way they carry the same ideas as his tapestries, as even in clay there’s that still mix of humour and social observation and the figures that give that slightly imperfect feeling which is the running themes throughout. The book itself it’s full of the storytelling behind his work, I love how all the little things still come through like that ragdoll like feel that first drew me to his work in college. It feels very fitting for work that’s all about observation and lived experience. But for me it was really nice to see a piece of art that I liked in college and see it for the first time person years later.
I think that’s why Perry’s work has always stayed with me. He takes techniques that are often seen as craft, like ceramics and tapestry, and gives them real weight. The artwork is filled with so much personality. His work feels very human and little details you recognise and the more time you spend looking. It’s the kind of work that rewards slowing down which as I've talked about before I love that sort of artwork. which is why seeing it in a gallery feels so different to how ive saw it past it on paper.
You realise there’s something deeper going on, about class, insecurity, pride and what we hang on to without really noticing. They have an art talk I'm thinking to go too for this which will definitely be very interesting! Ill make a blog post about it if I go. It will be nice to hear a talk on how he weaves natives through different mediums
Grayson Perry: The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever! Serpentine Gallery 2017 Images by 2017 Robert Glowacki
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wildlife Photography of the Year
So from the same gallery I visited I also took a nose around the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition while it’s on loan at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. An absolutely breathtaking collection which I view every time I get a chance too. I honestly loved every moment of it I think they did an absolutly amazing job with the displays of it too. The organisation was immersive and beautifully presented, which added so much. I couldn't recommend it enough. (Wolverhampton Art Gallery)
I mean have a HNC in photography so I do just have a general love for nature photography. For me I use nature as inspirations in my artwork quite a lot as waves and textures are always the center of my drawings, so I liked looking at the techniques of each image. I tend to enjoy looking how different photographers approached framing, depth, and timing as you know me by now I enjoy that aspect of creativity alot I like how things are made and produced. But the patience and skill involved was definitely inspirational and all the images are breathtaking and capture such amazing moments and stories.
Two photographs stayed with me which I have gone back to a few times.
Oasis of Calm, Rahul Sachdev
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: 100–500mm f4.5–7.1
Specs: 1/5 at f32 (-1 e/v) , ISO 100
Place: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Narok, Kenya
"Rahul Sachdev (India) creates a dreamlike image of an elephant in a lush riverside woodland.
Earlier, Rahul had watched marabou storks hunting around a large grassland fire." (Sachdev)
First being Oasis of Calm by Rahul Sachdev. The image feels peaceful and soft, with a beautiful balance between subject and environment. There’s a stillness to it that I liked, and I loved how unstaged it feels. The muted tones and soft contrast give it that calming feel. I like how the tusks are the focus point of the image and are harsh and sharp compared the blured background.
A monks life, Greg Lecoeur
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: Tokina 10–17mm
Specs: 1/250 at f9, ISO 200, Ikelite DS161 strobe
Place: Greece
"Greg Lecoeur (France) meets a wide-eyed, curious monk seal at the entrance of a sea cave.
Greg was documenting the work of seal biologists in Greece when he had this intimate encounter." (Lecoeur)
A Monk’s Life by Greg Lecoeur stood out to me for a different reason. The photograph shows a monk seal moving through dark water, its body emerging from shadows. I’m especially inspired by texture and detail, as I mentioned waves and rocks are a big inspiration to me personally as I’m always drawn to images that highlight unusual or natural textures so the tones, and the fine details are truly beautiful and stood out to me.
Some other photos from the exhibition:
Sirachai Arunrugstichai
Audun Rikardsen
Sitaram Raul
I do think this is an exhibition you'd need to see in person to get the full effect as even though the images look impressive just on a screen they look so much better in person. Visiting it left me feeling inspired and reminded me why I love photography so much even though I am not as into it as I used to be due to switching to a more drawing approach to my work but through the rich textures hand the beauty of the natural world it was beautiful to look at. I'm definitely going to buy the book for this exhibition so stay tuned for that if I do :P
Full link below!!!
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My favourite random weekly sketch I've done:
I usually finish these posts with a small sketch, just to mark the visit
Quick ink strokes of some historical inspired figures I drew in a museum.
Just to add as a random thought I'm enjoying sharing my quicking work as I love how lose and free they feel when my normal drawings are so controlled and detailed. It's nice to take a moment to appreciate these kinda drawings too as without them I wouldn't be able to produce finished artworks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
“8 Facts about Grayson Perry.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/story/8-facts-about-grayson-perry/CgVBggbrGDaTxA?hl=en. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Barry, Rebecca . “How Grayson Perry Weaves Narratives into His Tapestries and Ceramics.” MyArtBroker, 5 Sept. 2023, www.myartbroker.com/artist-grayson-perry/articles/grayson-perry-narratives-tapestries-ceramics.
“Grayson Perry, the Vanity of Small Differences | Arts Council Collection.” Artscouncilcollection.org.uk, 21 Aug. 2020, artscouncilcollection.org.uk/exhibition/grayson-perry-vanity-small-differences. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Lecoeur, Greg. “A Monk’s Life | Wildlife Photographer of the Year | Natural History Museum.” Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2025, www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery/2025-a-monk-s-life?tags=ed.current. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
“Pitzhanger - Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences.” Pitzhanger - Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences, 2024, www.pitzhanger.org.uk/whatson/grayson-perry/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Sachdev, Rahul. “Natural History Museum.” Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2025, www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/wpy/gallery/2025-oasis-of-calm?tags=ed.current. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
Tate. “Sir Grayson Perry CBE RA Born 1960.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-grayson-perry-cbe-ra-4657.
“The Vanity of Small Differences.” Artfund.org, 2025, www.artfund.org/our-purpose/art-funded-by-you/the-vanity-of-small-differences.
Wolverhampton Art Gallery . “Grayson Perry Vanity of Small Differences.” Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 1 Nov. 2025, www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/whats-on/grayson-perry-the-annunciation-of-the-virgin-deal/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
“Wildlife Photography of the Year.” Wolverhampton Art Gallery , www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/whats-on/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2/. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
“Grayson Perry the Vanity of Small Differences.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/story/grayson-perry-the-vanity-of-small-differences-arts-council-collection/0wURgPJDnRMA8A?hl=en-GB. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment