Cafe Opus is joining forces with the ‘Godfather of British Black photography’ to fuse art with food for a special event on Wednesday 22nd July.
The stylish eating establishment, which is based at the Ikon Gallery on Oozells Street, is hosting a summer party to celebrate Vanley Burke’s latest exhibition, At Home With Vanley Burke, which will be shown at Ikon from 22nd July.
To celebrate the launch, chefs from Cafe Opus will be dishing up some of Vanley’s favourite Caribbean inspired food, including his own secret recipe jerk chicken, as well as barbequed lamb and vegetarian pittas. Food and art fans will also be able to enjoy an exclusive cocktail, ‘The Vanley’, as well as live music from a steel band and reggae sound system Wassifa Showcase.
The launch party is to honour Vanley’s latest exhibition, which will see the entire contents of his treasure cove home in Nechells, north-east Birmingham, transported to Ikon’s main exhibition space. The display will show how the normally ordinary is turned extraordinary in Vanley’s world, from an eclectic collection of posters, clothes and records, to unusual sculptures including a barbed wire gun and a jacket made entirely from pages of the Bible. Vanley, who first began his career over 45 years ago after relocating from Jamaica to Birmingham, started taking pictures as a teenager, documenting the experience of black people living in the UK.
Speaking of the event, Irene Allan, director at Cafe Opus, said: “Vanley’s latest exhibition will be a real insight into his life, so what better way for fans to gain the full experience than to get a taste of his cooking style too. Working with Vanley to perfect his favourite dish, jerk chicken – which is delicious – has been a delight. We’ll even be serving Vanley’s favourite ginger cake on the night and throughout the exhibition.”
Vanley’s Summer Party takes place on Wednesday 22nd July, from 8pm to 11pm at Cafe Opus at Ikon Gallery. To book tickets, please visit https://ikon-gallery.org/event/vanleys-summer-party/ or call 0121 248 0708. Tickets cost £10 and include one free drink and one free dish.
Please note Ikon’s At Home With Vanley Burke exhibition will not be open during the event. Visitors can view the exhibition on Wednesday 22nd July between 6pm to 8pm, or during Ikon’s normal opening times from Thursday 23rd July to Sunday 27th September.