Pogus Caesar

Dr. Pogus Caesar (born 1953) is a British artist, archivist, author, curator, television producer and director. He was born in St Kitts, West Indies, and grew up in Birmingham, England.

Early life
Caesar was born on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts. At an early age, he moved to Birmingham, England.

Career
During the early 1980s, Caesar was appointed director of the West Midlands Minority Arts Service. He was the first chairman of Birmingham International Film & Television Festival.

As a photographer and artist, Caesar has worked in Spain, India, South America, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, Albania, and Jamaica, documenting diverse communities. Caesar's artwork and photographs have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery,

In 2022, Caesar was named in CasildART's list of the top six Black British photographers, including Charlie Phillips, Armet Francis, Neil Kenlock and James Barnor.

Exhibitions

 * Pogus Caesar Paintings – Cartwright Hall, Bradford, 1986. 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 Leicester Museum & 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
 * From Jamaica Row – Rebirth of the Bullring – OOM Gallery, Birmingham, 2006. Solo exhibition
 * Seeing Slavery – 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 – City Gallery, Leicester, 2009. Group exhibition
 * Participation: The film and workshop movement 1979–1991 – VIVID Birmingham Exhibition and archive project, 2009
 * South Africa – Brighter Flame – Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 2010. Solo exhibition
 * Muzik Kinda Sweet – British Music Experience, O2, London, 2011. Solo exhibition
 * Reggae Kinda Sweet – Trinity Centre, Bristol, UK. 2012. Solo exhibition
 * Reggae Kinda Sweet – The Drum, Birmingham, UK. 2013. Solo exhibition
 * Islands on the Edge - Atlantic Wharf Gallery, Boston, USA, 2015. Group exhibition
 * Staying Power, V&A Museum, London, 2015. Group exhibition
 * Within and Without: Body Image and the Self, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, 2019. Group exhibition
 * Handsworth "1985" Revisited, Multi Site Billboard Installation with Benjamin Zephaniah, Birmingham, 2019. Joint exhibition
 * Inspiring Photographs: Collecting for the Future, National Portrait Gallery, London,UK 2019–2020. Group exhibition
 * Birmingham Revolutions: Power to the People, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham,UK 2019–2020. Group exhibition
 * Black Lives Matter, Multi-Site Billboard Installation, London and Birmingham,UK 2020. Solo exhibition
 * Dub London: Bassline of a City, Museum of London,UK 2020. Group exhibition.
 * Bristol Photo Festival: Island Life, Photographs from the Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol,UK 2021. Group exhibition
 * War Inna Babylon: The Community's Struggle for Truths & Rights, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London,UK 2021. Group Exhibition
 * Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now, Tate Britain, London,UK 2021/22. Group exhibition
 * Creative Connections Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, UK 2022. Group Exhibition
 * We Are Birmingham, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK 2022. Group exhibition
 * The Black Triangle Atlas Gallery, London, UK 2022. Group exhibition
 * Tower of Dreams Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK 2022. Video projection
 * This is Britain: Photographs from the 1970s and 1980s National Gallery of Art,Washington, USA 2023. Group exhibition
 * A Tall Order" Rochdale Art Gallery in the 1980s Touchstones, Rochdale, UK 2023. Group exhibition
 * Identity" Graves Gallery, Sheffield, UK 2023/4. Group exhibition
 * " National Portrait Gallery, London, UK 2023. Group exhibition
 * " The Missing Thread: Untold Stories of Black British Fashion, Somerset House, London UK 2023. Group exhibition
 * " The Tiny Spark: Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, Birmingham UK 2023 Single channel film projection
 * " The Tiny Spark: Somerset House, London UK 2023 Single channel film projection
 * Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada 2023/2. Group exhibition
 * Friends in Love and War - L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es macLYON, Lyon, France 2024. Group exhibition
 * Friends in Love and War - L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es Ikon, Birmingham, UK 2024/25. Group exhibition

Television production credits

 * Black On Black, Channel 4, 1985–1986 Multi-cultural current affairs/entertainment series. Line Producer
 * Here & Now, Central Television, 1986–1989. Multi-cultural series, featuring Lenny Henry, Maya Angelou, Nigel Benn, Craig Charles, Omar Sharif, Carmen Munroe, James Baldwin. Presenter and Director
 * One World, Central Television. 1990–91. Multi-cultural series, featuring Al Sharpton, MC Hammer. Interviewer and Director
 * I'm Black in Britain, Central Television, 1993; 30-minute documentary investigating racism in Britain. Interviewees include John Tyndall of National Front. Interviewer and Director
 * Designer Babies, Central Television, 1993. 30-minute documentary on Vitro Fertilization. Interviewees included Patrick Steptoe CBE and Professor Robert Winston. Co-Producer and Interviewer
 * The Cook Report, Central Television, 1994. 30-minute current affairs programme. Investigative Reporter
 * An Eye on X, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television/ACGB 1995. Short film on micro sculptor Willard Wigan. Producer and Director
 * Xpress, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television 1995 14 X 30-minute entertainment series featuring Sharron Davies, Derek Redmond, Mark Morrison, China Black, Rozalla, Ranking Roger of The Beat. Series Producer and Director
 * Edwin Starr: Agent 00 Soul, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television 1995. Documentary on American soul singer Edwin Starr. Producer and Director
 * Prince at The New Power Generation at the NEC, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television 1995. Short film on Prince and his band including interviews and concert footage. Producer and Director
 * Love in Kenya, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television 1995. English woman on holiday finds love and marriage with Kenyan man. Producer and Director
 * 15 Minute Meals, Windrush Productions for Carlton Television, 1995. Six chefs from around the world cook up local dishes in 15 minutes. Series Producer and Director
 * Respect, Carlton Television, 1995 – six 30-minute sports series (documentaries on heavyweight champion boxer Lennox Lewis, British rugby player Martin Offiah, Olympic athlete Judy Simpson, Aston Villa footballer Tony Daley, Olympic athlete John Regis, and disabled tennis player Diana Bowles). Series Producer and Director
 * Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam, Windrush Productions, 1995, 51-minute documentary on hip-hop superstar Aaliyah. Producer and Director
 * The A-Force, BBC TV Manchester, 1997. 6 x 60-minute entertainment series, lifestyle documentary featuring Jada Pinkett Smith, Dave Chappelle, John Singleton and Isaac Hayes in Toronto, Canada. Senior Producer and Director
 * The A-Force, BBC TV Manchester, 1997. 6 x 60-minute entertainment series, lifestyle documentary on AC Milan footballer George Weah in Italy. Senior Producer and Director
 * The A-Force, BBC TV Manchester, 1997. 6 x 60-minute entertainment series, lifestyle documentary on Liverpool footballer John Barnes. Senior Producer and Director
 * The A-Force, BBC TV Manchester, 1997. 6 x 60-minute entertainment series, Nas & The Fugees in Manchester. Senior Producer
 * Drumbeat, Carlton Television, 1999. 6 x 60-minute entertainment/current affairs series. Interviewees including Lynden David Hall, Ruby Turner, Mr Vegas. Series Editor and Presenter