Sir Grayson Perry has said he is guilty of “cultural appropriation”.
The Turner Prize-winning artist looked back on his work ahead of the launch of his first major UK retrospective, to be held at the National Galleries of Scotland, saying he has committed a “modern sin” throughout his career.
Sir Grayson has stated ahead of the show’s opening that much of his work is guilty of “cultural appropriation”, a projective label for adopting ideas about practices from other cultures.
The potter, painter and upholsterer wrote in a program for his retrospective, titled Smash Hits, that being “omnivorous” when it comes to drawing influence and inspiration can be a “minefield” in the modern world.
He wrote that broad influences can be “complicated”, adding: “Cultural appropriation, the adoption of customs, ideas or styles of one group by another (usually more dominant and often for some kind of gain) is a modern sin, and I confess to being guilty.
“A constant in my art is that I look to world art history for the things I love and that inspire me to make my own, often hybrid versions.
“Throughout my career, this has meant that I have used ideas from virtually every civilization, from Korean celadons to Afghan war rugs, American folk art, Norwegian stave churches, Japanese kimonos, California custom motorcycles, Chancay pottery from Peru, and on and on.”
