Pogus Caesar was born in St Kitts, West Indies and grew up in Birmingham, United Kingdom. An award winning broadcaster (Prix Circom Regionale 1995), he has produced and directed numerous programmes for Central TV, Carlton TV ('Xpress' , 'Respect', 'Drumbeat'), BBC TV ('A-Force') and was the first Chairman of Birmingham International Film & TV Festival.
In 1993 he set up Windrush Productions Ltd, a film, television and radio production company, and has directed select individuals including Lennox Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Jada Pinkett Smith, Prince, Sir Paul McCartney, Isaac Hayes and the late r&b superstar Aaliyah.
AS PRESENTER
Here & Now: Central Television 1985-1989. Multicultural Entertainment series.
I'm Black In Britain: Central Television 1993. 30 min documentary investigating racism in Britain.
Drumbeat: Carlton Television 1999. Also Series Editor. 6x60 min Entertainment / Current Affairs series.
AS SERIES EDITOR
Drumbeat Carlton Television 1999. Also Presenter. 6 x 60 min Entertainment / Current Affairs series
JOURNALIST
Black on Black: Channel 4 1985. Current Affairs series.
DIRECTOR
One World: Central Television 1990. Multicultural Entertainment series.
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR
I'm Black In Britain: Central Television 1993. 30 min documentary investigating racism in Britain.
An Eye On X: Windrush Productions / Carlton Television / Arts Council of Great Britain 1995. Film on microsculptor Willard Wigan.
Aaliyah in Amsterdam: Windrush Productions / Carlton Television 1995
Edwin Starr: Windrush Productions / Carlton Television 1995
Xpress: Windrush Productions / Carlton Television 1995. 12 x 30 min Entertainment series.
Respect: Carlton Television 1995. 6 x 30min sports series / documentaries on Lennox Lewis, Martin Offiah, Judy Simpson, Tony Daley, John Regis, Diana Bowles.
The A-Force: (BBC TV 1997) 6 x 60 min Entertainment Series - Lifestyle film of Jada Pinkett Smith, Dave Chapelle, John Singleton, Isaac Hayes in Canada.
Lifestyle film of Footballer George Weah in Milan, Italy.
Lifestyle film of Footballer John Barnes in Liverpool, Italy.
The Way Forward: Windrush / Birmingham Education Dept 1999
SELECTED FILMS
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
Paper Planes: Rap star Coolio speaks about drugs in USA. Screened at MAC, Birmingham. 2004
Muscleback: Modern day vampires wreak havok in an underground club. Screened at MAC, Birmingham. 2004
Vicer Verser: Animals take over an isolated Portugese farmhouse. Screened at MAC, Birmingham. 2002
Korabra The Art of Gavin Jantjes: Central Television 1987
Reflections: Windrush Productions / Millennium Commission 1999
Forward Ever Backward Never: (Windrush Productions 2002) commissioned by London based Artangel Interaction - located in Cuba, tragic love story set against the backdrop of 19th century slavery.
Screened at Lumiere, London / UGC Cinema Arcadian, Birmingham / Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham / Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre / Unity Theatre, Liverpool.
Should Black Art Still Be Beautiful: (Arts Council of Great Britain 2006) - as Executive Producer.
Francesca's Key: (OOM Gallery for M.A.D.E 2007) Feature film set in Birmingham, young girl goes on voyage of discovery.
At an early age Caesar scribbled and sketched on anything he could find lying around the one room that he shared with his family in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. At 7 years old Caesar found a creative release in drawing and painting, later taking inspiration from the work of Georges Seurat, the French pointillist painter who created pictures using dots, "I couldn't afford paintbrushes so I had to use old fountain pens instead". In his teens he began to sell work in Birmingham's Rag Market, his pointillist paintings were so successful that within a few years he was exhibiting in major galleries like Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, Herbert Art Gallery and the Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield. A highlight of this period in his career was presenting one of his pieces to Princess Diana in 1982, a painting called 'A New Approach'.
Finding it increasingly difficult to create the fine pointilist images, due to less than perfect eyesight, Caesar's focus moved to photography. The project took him to New York and culminated in 'Instamatic Views of New York' his first touring photographic exhibition, venues included the National Museum of Film and Photography, Bradford (1986).
He is best known for 35mm black and white photography and unique and compelling photo montages, created using traditional methods of cutting, burning and breaking images, using his photographs, resin, sand, dirt, pieces of cloth and other household materials. '" I like simplicity and prefer using fixed focus Canon cameras, I just photograph the world around me, things I find interesting".
Caesar's works are represented in many private and public collections overseas and in Britain including the Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, The City Gallery Leicester and Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE
"Pogus Caesar Paintings" Cartwright Hall, Bradford 1985 Solo exhibition
"Instamatic Views of New York" National Museum of Film and Photography, Bradford 1986 Solo exhibition
"Into The Open" Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield 1984, (As Curator/Exhibitor) Group exhibition
"Caribbean Expressions In Britain" The Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery 1986 Central Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton 1986 Cartwright Hall, Bradford 1987 (As Curator/Exhibitor) Group exhibition
"Break In The Seal" Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry 1988 Joint exhibition
"Sharp Voices, Still Lives" Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 1990 Group exhibition
"Vibes: The Roots of Urban Music" Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry 2004 / Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery 2005 Group exhibition
"Burning Images - Revolution Through The Lens" The Drum, Birmingham 2005 Group exhibition
"Handsworth Riots - Twenty Summers On" OOM Gallery / BBC Mailbox, Birmingham 2005 Solo exhibition
"Muzik Kinda Sweet - Photographs 1985 - 2009" OOM Gallery, Birmingham 2005 Solo exhibition
"From Jamaica Row - Rebirth of the Bullring" OOM Gallery ,Birmingham 2006 Solo exhibition
"Seeing Slavery" The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke - on - Trent 2007 Group exhibition
"Religion, Slavery and Diaspora" Horniman Museum & Garden, London 2007 Group exhibition
"Trespassers Will Be Shot - Survivors Will Be Shot Again - Images of Joburg & Capetown" Friction Arts, Birmingham 2007 Solo exhibition
"The Art of Ideas, Birmingham, UK 2008 Group exhibition
"That Beautiful Thing" Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton 2008 Solo exhibition
"That Beautiful Thing" Three White Walls Gallery, Birmingham 2008 Solo exhibition
"From Jamaica Row - Rebirth of the Bullring" Kinetic AIU, Birmingham 2008 - 09 Solo exhibition
"Muzik Kinda Sweet - Photographs 1985 - 2009" Fazeley Studios, Birmingham 2009 Solo exhibition
"Pattern Recognition" The City Gallery, Leicester 2009 Group exhibition
"Participation - The film and workshop movement 1979 - 1991" VIVID, Birmingham Exhibition and archive project 2009
In 2002 Caesar directed his first cinema film drama, commissioned by Artangel Interaction, 'Forward Ever - Backward Never' is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of oppression in 19th century Cuba.
Pogus Caesar's life story is documented in the inspirational and moving book 'Portraits of Black Achievement - Composing Successful Careers', written by Jacqui MacDonald and published by Lifetime Careers Wiltshire. Lenny Henry and Paul Boateng MP are also featured in this uplifting book.
In 2001 OOM Gallery was established in Birmingham, United Kingdom, our aims are to contribute and promote artistic excellence in the city
OOM Gallery proudly presents a life time's work, showcasing Caesar's photography, photomontage and film collections, we will be updating the site regularly with new images and online exhibitions. OOM Gallery is a privately funded organisation.
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