John Grayson

John Grayson is a Senior Lecturer in Foundation Art and Design at Staffordshire University, leading the Design Pathway. His work intertwines artistic practice with academic research, focusing on historical craft techniques and their contemporary interpretation. He holds an Honorary Research Fellow position at the University of Birmingham's Centre for Printing History and Culture.

Grayson holds a PhD in 'South Staffordshire Enamels: The Lost Craftsmanship of Eighteenth Century Copper Substrate' from Birmingham City University, alongside postgraduate qualifications in art education and research methods. His educational background includes degrees in Wood, Metal and Plastics from Wolverhampton institutions.

His research emphasizes 18th-19th century Midlands metalworking traditions, transfer printing in ceramics/enamels, and museum-based object analysis. Recent exhibitions include 'Enamel | Substrate' (2018-19) and 'Georgian Enamels: Piecing Together A New Narrative' (2015). Notable grants include a Bibliographical Society conference subvention (2018) and AHRC funding for craft audience engagement studies (2004).

Grayson's creative practice involves satirical automata combining printmaking with three-dimensional enamel work, often inspired by Black Country and Birmingham metalworking heritage. His commissions include pieces for the Museum of Royal Worcester and Bantock House Museum, funded by Arts Council England and Wolverhampton City Council.