Benjamin Zephaniah exhibition opens in Birmingham

An exhibition celebrating the life of poet and activist Benjamin Zephaniah has opened in his home city.

The outdoor exhibition “Benjamin Zephaniah – The Brighter Flame” can be seen in Birmingham’s Victoria Square and Colmore Row until 31 July.

It features more than 20 artworks displayed in cabinets as part of the city’s “100 Days of Creativity” programme.

The poet, who was 65, died in December, eight weeks after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The exhibition was developed and funded by Colmore Business District and co-curated by Birmingham artist Pogus Caesar and art historian Ruth Millington.

It was created with the full support and acknowledgment of the Zephaniah family, organisers said.

The exhibition features large-scale black and white photographs of Zephaniah, taken by Caesar.

There are also a series of poems and photographs by Zephaniah and Caesar taken from their first large-scale project “Handsworth 1985 Revisited”.

It also features stills from The Tiny Spark, a film featuring Zephaniah’s poetry and Caesar’s images also in response to the Handsworth Riots of 1985.

“The Brighter Flame exhibition is an amazing, iconic and beautiful tribute to Benjamin,” a spokesperson for Zephaniah’s family said.

“The flag-poles now flying high over Birmingham’s streets and the boards in Victoria Square capture the very essence of what made Benjamin a truly inspirational and lovely man.

“They depict the many faces of Benjamin: the activist, the poet and author, the actor, the humanitarian, the voice of the marginalised and disenfranchised and Benjamin the family man.

“The settings for the exhibition represent places in Birmingham city centre where he frequently visited and in our minds we can see him smiling down on the streets of this fantastic exhibition.

“We feel it is a wonderful tribute for Benjamin, a son of Birmingham, to be honoured in this special and unique way.”