The distinctive street art of Mohammed "Aerosol" Ali around Birmingham
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Mohammed "Aerosol" Ali is known in Birmingham for his stencil sprayed on artwork around the City. Such as in Kings Heath, Moseley or Digbeth. Most famous for doing pieces on the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali (who died in 2016). More recently he has done a Malcolm X piece outside The Art Rooms Kings Heath. Plus "I Can't Breathe" Black Lives Matter pieces in 2020.
The art of Mohammed Ali aka Aerosol Ali seen around Birmingham from 2016 until 2021. Note that not all of his pieces displayed here are still visible to see. Some of his art is politcal. Connect with Mohammed on Twitter (click the link above).
Digbeth
Location: Bradford Street
Date: June 2018
"The fish, even in the fishermans net, still carries the smell of the sea."
This piece has been painted over, and part of the hoarding is missing as of June 2021.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Digbeth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bradford St Digbeth MA (Jun 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Location: Bradford Street
Date: August 2020
"I Can't Breathe" - Black Lives Matter.
These posters have probably been removed, and other taggers kept writing over it.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Digbeth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bradford St Digbeth MA (Aug 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Moseley
Location: Moseley Central - Alcester Road
Date: February 2017.
Deaths in 2016, including Muhammad Ali, Alex Keogh, USA (Trump election) and Jo Cox.
These hoardings have gone, and Moseley Central was completed in 2018.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Moseley" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Moseley V Alcester Rd MA (Feb 2017) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Muhammad Ali (1942-2016). Famous boxer. His namesake Mohammed Ali (no relation), sprayed pieces like this all around the City after Ali died aged 74.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Moseley" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Moseley V Alcester Rd MA (Feb 2017) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
USA (1776-2016). The election of Donald Trump in November 2016. Served one term as the 45th President of the United States (20th January 2017 to 20th January 2021). Succeeded by Joe Biden (as 46th President of the United States), after Trump lost the 2020 election. Trump was banned from all social media platforms early in 2021.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Moseley" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Moseley V Alcester Rd MA (Feb 2017) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Alex Keogh (1988-2016). Not sure about him, other than a young man that died young, at 28. He was a teaching assistant according to the Birmingham Mail. He died of a alcohol and drug overdose at Christmas Eve 2016.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Moseley" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Moseley V Alcester Rd MA (Feb 2017) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Jo Cox (1974-2016). She was MP for Batley and Spen from the 7th May 2015, until she was murdered on the 16th June 2016, in Birstall, West Yorkshire of gun shot wounds, and she was stabbed. She was 41 years old.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Moseley" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Moseley V Alcester Rd MA (Feb 2017) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Kings Heath
Location: Acorns - Silver Street
Date: June 2016
Muhammad Ali (1942 - 2016). This was one of the first pieces I found of Mohammed Ali. He also did similar pieces in Sparkbrook and elsewhere in the City at the time.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Kings Heath" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Silver St KH MA (Jun 2016).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Location: Acorns - Silver Street
Date: October 2019
Greta Thunberg. A teenage environmental activist. She was born in Sweden in 2003. She is now 18 years old. But was 16 when Mohammed Ali sprayed this on the wall.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Kings Heath" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Silver St KH MA (Oct 2019).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Location: Acorns - Silver Street
Date: July 2020
"I Can't Breathe" - Black Lives Matter. This piece had perspex put over it by the Council.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Kings Heath" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Silver St KH MA (Jul 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Location: Acorns - Silver Street
Date: January 2021
2021 - Coronavirus Pandemic, the new year after the disaster that was 2020. The year of vaccines in 2021. This piece is still on the wall.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Kings Heath" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Silver St KH MA (Jan 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Location: The Art Rooms - High Street
Date: June 2021
Malcolm X on Marshall Street, Smethwick, early February 1965. A few weeks after his return to the US, he was shot dead in New York. Mohammed Ali also painted a Palestine flag on it, during the "Free Palestine" movement. After the bombings in Israel and continuing issues with the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
dndimg alt="Aerosol Ali Kings Heath" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Art Rooms KH MA (Jun 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown