Six exuberant tapestries by Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry are to go on show in Canterbury.

The Vanity of Small Differences, which will go on display at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, tells the story of class mobility and the influence social class has on our taste.

Inspired by William Hogarth’s famous A Rake’s Progress, the tapestries – each measuring
2m x 4m – chart the class journey Grayson Perry encountered on his journeys for the Bafta-winning TV show All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry, which was shown on Channel 4 in 2012.

“I hope that wherever they go it not only delights the eye but also sparks debate about class, taste and British society,” said Grayson.

Canterbury City Council’s Neil Baker said: “Ever since the Bayeux Tapestry depicted the events leading up to the Norman invasion of Britain, tapestry has proved a fascinating medium for art and social history and I am sure Grayson Perry’s work will not disappoint.

“I am delighted that it is going on display in Canterbury.”

Grayson, awarded the Turner Prize in 2003, is also known for his ceramic vases and the autobiographical element of his work, including images of him as Claire, his female alter-ego.

To celebrate the display, the Beaney is hosting its biggest programme of supporting events and activities to date. There will be talks and workshops, with families able to take home their own hand-woven tapestry.

His work proved so popular when it went on show at Margate’s Turner Contemporary last year that almost 200,000 people visited in four months.

The exhibition runs from Saturday, October 8 to Sunday, December 4.

SOME OF THE SUPPORTING ACTS

A lecture by Arts Council Collection curator Beth Hughes exploring the dynamics between artist and collection, on Thursday, October 13, between 6pm and 7pm at the Learning Lab at the Beaney. Entry is £4.

An artist-led discussion, Class and Art – all in the Best Possible Taste, with Holder and Lamoon! on Saturday, October 15, between 2pm and 4pm at the Learning Lab. Entry is free.

The Tapestry Tales creative workshops will run between 1pm and 3pm on four dates – Tuesday, October 25, Thursday, October 27, Saturday, November 12, and Saturday, December 3 – and will cost £3 for children, with accompanying adults going free.

Childhood: A Grayson Perry Workshop for Grown-ups on Saturday, November 5, between 10am and 2pm at the Learning Lab. Visitors will be encouraged to experiment with mark-making and monochromatic media to create a range of drawings. It costs £7 each.

Wealth: A Grayson Perry Workshop for Grown-ups on Saturday, November 19, between 10am and 2pm at the Learning Lab, which will be inspired by the exhibition and other treasures in the Beaney collection. V, will see visitors will createing their own ornate paintings, using acrylic painting techniques and even gold leaf. Entry is £7 each.

For details of all the events on offer, visit canterburymuseums.co.uk

* Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences has been supported with loans from the Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre London and British Council. Gift of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery with the support of Channel 4 Television, The Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from AlixPartners. © Grayson Perry. Photography © Stephen White.