Pogus Caesar is a British artist, television producer and director. He was born in St Kitts, West Indies, and grew up in Birmingham, England.
A self taught artist who took up painting seriously in his early 20's, following a series of short term jobs. His early work was greatly influenced by French impressionist artist Georges-Pierre Seurat, one of the foremost exponents of the pointillist technique. Whilst Seurat built up his compositions from a multitude of tiny coloured spots, Caesar developed his own technique by using simple pen and ink; composing his paintings with thousands of tiny dots. This minutely detailed use of a fountain pen means that even the smaller works take several months to complete.
During the early 1980s Caesar became director of the West Midlands Ethnic Minority Arts Service , the organisation promoted multicultural arts regionally and nationally. Caesar was also the 1st Chairman of Birmingham International Film & Television Festival . He has also played a crucial role as selector and contributor to some of the earliest shows by black British artists including Into the Open (1984) and Caribbean Expressions in Britain (1986).
During the late 1980's Caesar started worked in British television - originally as a journalist on Channel 4's "Black on Black " then as producer and director of mainly entertainment, sport and multi cultural programmes for Central Television, Carlton Television and BBC. Radio programmes include "Mr & Mrs Smith" B.R.M.B Radio and "The Windrush E. Smith Show " BBC West Midlands. In 1993 he formed his own production company, Windrush Productions . His productions include I'm Black in Britain , Respect, Drumbeat and the award winning multicultural series Xpress .
As a photographer Caesar has worked in Spain, India, South America and Sweden. He has documented the artists, musicians, poets and politicians that he met and with whom he collaborated - including Stevie Wonder, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Paul Robeson Jr . These and other images acquired by Mappin Art Gallery Sheffield , Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery represent important visual documents recording key figures in black British history. Selected exhibitions include "Instamatic Views of New York" National Museum of Film and Photography , Bradford 1986, "Into The Open" Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield 1984, "Break in the Seal"]] Herbert Art Gallery , Coventry 1988, "Sharp Voices, Still Lives" Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 1990 "Vibes" Herbert Art Gallery , Coventry 2004
Throughout the years Pogus Caesar has provided support and development for a host of educational and cultural initiatives within Birmingham City.
Caesar's photographs and extensive archives documenting Birmingham Black History is held in Birmingham Central Library Archives . He has exhibited widely, his work held in public and private collections in Britain, Europe and USA.
Television
As presenter:
- Here & Now (Central 1985-1989)
- I'm Black In Britain (Central Television 1993) - also producer. 30 min documentary investigating racism in Britain.
- Drumbeat (Carlton Television 1999) - also Series Editor. 6 x 60 min entertainment / current affairs series
As journalist
As director:
- One World (Central Television 1990)
As producer and director:
Selected films
As director:
- Reflections (Windrush Productions /Millennium Commission 1999) - also producer.
- 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 / MAC, Birmingham / Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre / Unity Theatre, Liverpool.
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