Grayson Perry

Britain is Best by Grayson Perry is a 2014 tapestry from the edition of 20. On the intricate and expertly executed piece, Perry says, These are five loyalists from East Belfast. Four of them participated in a march I witnessed commemorating the centenary of the founding of the Ulster Volunteer Force and I was fascinated by how exotic it felt. Ironically, being fervently patriotic is not a particularly British trait. Their portrait is in the form of an embroidered banner that might be carried aloft on a march. I deliberately chose a very colourful and jolly style as the murals that are everywhere in East Belfast veer heavily towards the dour and aggressive.' The bright neon colours, the cartoonish expressions and the craftsmanship make this an arresting and exceptional work by the multi-disciplined Perry,