Benjamin Zephaniah’s family lobby for new mural after original painted over in ‘error’

Kevin E G Perry April 5, 2024 at 1:51 PM The family of Benjamin Zephaniah are hoping a mural of the late poet and writer can be repainted in a new location after the original was erased in error by graffitti removal contractors. The artwork had been painted in an underpass in Hockley, Birmingham, after Zephaniah’s death in December at the age of 65. The unidentified local artist who created the piece notified The Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group about the work in March, and they were so impressed that Zephaniah’s brother Tippa Naphtali made arrangements with city councillors Sharon Thompson and Waseem Zaffar to have it protected. However, this message was seemingly not communicated to council contractors Kier, whose graffitti removal team painted over the mural to leave the wall blank. Naphtali told the Birmingham Mail: “Given the very recent passing of my brother, and the significant contributions that he had made artistically, politically and culturally in this city over decades, this removal showed little respect for him or the community that held him dear, not just in Brum, but internationally, as the people’s poet.” He added: “This mural was a carefully constructed piece of art that took hours...