Grayson Perry: My Life in Six Objects in 1843 Magazine

The artist on the totems that rule his world

My teddy bear, Alan Measles, is the first thing I’d grab after my wife and child (and possibly my cat). He’s as old as I am and incredibly significant. Alan was the benign dictator of my imaginary world from about the age of four up to 14. He was a hegemonic masculine character: a kind of idealised father figure, leader and possibly God. I didn’t get on with my stepfather, so Alan Measles stepped up to the plate. He was part of my general drive to self-sufficiency. About 15 years ago, I was doing a show in Japan and I wanted to do a piece about religion. I needed a God I actually believed in, so I chose him. Since then I’ve put him in dozens of artworks. I think I was probably more careless with him as a kid. Once, I left him too near the fire. One of his ears got burned and a new one had to be knitted on. Now he sits on a golden throne in my bedroom. He’s a celebrity in his own right. People send him gifts.

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Image: © Grayson Perry