Boundless Identities
Contemporary artist and cross-dresser Grayson Perry believes that identities are never ‘fixed’ and any boundaries we impose upon ourselves are false. “[The term identity] seems so amorphous, it’s like grabbing smoke. Different bits of us come out at different times,” the artist once told the Guardian while reflecting on his 2013 self-portrait A Map of Days.
Unlike traditional headshot-style self-portraits, Perry chose to represent himself as a map. Within the imaginary town, place names and roads represent different parts of the artist’s soul, such as Sad Puberty, My Ultimate Dream and Alpha Masculinity.
To explore and celebrate diverse identities, we tasked a selection of artists from a range of backgrounds to explore what Perry’s idea means to them.
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I don’t see any boundaries between all the different sides of me. This coming from someone who uses two different names depending on the project.
– Supermundane
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Inspired by Grayson Perry's portrait, this piece is a self-exploring journey - we are learning and travelling in the landscape of ourselves.
– Yukai Du
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I’m interested in the hand of the artist existing in the drawing unapologetically, as sort of truth claim. I have tried to recall personal memories and ideas which inform my creative self, but hopefully resonate with others as something shared.
– Matthew the Horse
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5. Jay Cover
6. Assa Ariyoshi
7. Yukai Du
8. James Dawe
9. Marcus Oakley
10. Saskia Pomeroy
11. Petra Borner
12. Matthew the Horse
13. Thomas Hedger
14. Thomas Hedger
15. Lucy Jones
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