A fully illustrated catalogue of new work and texts by Sir Grayson Perry to accompany a landmark exhibition at the Wallace Collection in celebration of the artist's 65th birthday.

To celebrate his 65th birthday, British artist Sir Grayson Perry (b.1960) has chosen to explore some of the recurrent themes and inspirations for his art with the Wallace Collection. The Wallace Collection is full of creative inspiration for Grayson Perry. His childhood love of François Boucher's Portrait of Madame de Pompadour (1759) is often discussed by the artist, but many other pieces in the Collection have inspired him over his lifetime, including the Collection's superb group of English miniatures and an early 18th-century bronze of Mezzetin, soulfully strumming his guitar. These objects and more find themselves echoed in Perry's new works, which playfully explore themes including the gendering of decoration, perfection versus authenticity, and the exquisite and the pretty versus the brutality and pomp of masculinity.

Perry works across various media, exploiting each to suit his message. Therefore his works in the exhibition and this accompanying book – curated and edited by himself – include ceramics, sculpture, textile and painting, complementing the diversity and variety of objects found at the Wallace Collection. This landmark birthday exhibition is a meditation and introspection for Perry. Is he now at the height of his powers? What does it mean to move from an 'outsider' artist to a national treasure, and how does that influence his work? What is craftsmanship in the age of digital technology, and what will his legacy be?

The unique juxtaposition of Grayson Perry's works beside objects from the Collection invite readers to participate: to take an active role as they compare, contrast and draw their own conclusions about inspiration and creativity.