Birmingham is being spray-painted, and colourful graffiti is appearing on walls around the city. There is a vibrant street art scene in Birmingham, centred in and around Digbeth. The artwork has spread out to the Southside, with several walls and car parks receiving their share of art. New pieces are always appearing in Digbeth, and I have recorded photographs of the area over the last few weeks. Some of these will if not already disapper to be either painted over or lost to redevelopment.


Street art activity increases during the Hi Vis festival, which is an annual celebration of the Hip Hop community. The festival has moved from Digbeth to become a large public event in Southside. To coincide with the festival, the exhibition “The Epic Story of Graffiti Through the Lens of Henry Chalfant” opened in the Bullring, just off Rotunda Square. This was the subject of a previous blog post.


The exhibition inspired me to undertake a photographic walkabout in both Southside and Digbeth. This collection of photographs, taken in the first week of June, is a snapshot of the vibrant scene. As a photographer, I enjoy capturing street art and aim to vary my pictures — from close-ups to wider shots showing the environment. Including people in the images often provides a useful human element.




The art is public, although I try, where possible, to learn the names behind the work so I can credit the artists. Occasionally, it is not possible, but I am always happy to update my blog and amend the details.



Finally @mrmurals is painting a nice piece of work on Navigation Street near to New Street Station. The subject is Black Sabbath and the photorealistic work is very eye catching. A great tribute to one of the great heavy metal bands of all time.

If you like this blog then please visit my blog on the Epic Story of Graffiti which inspired me to go out and photograph the streets of Brum.