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Economic Development

New statue unveiled outside Library of Birmingham

Artwork by Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing aims to show what a typical family is in today's modern Britain

 

Two sisters and their sons are joining the likes of Queen Victoria, Matthew Boulton and Tony Hancock in being immortalised by a statue in Birmingham.

A Real Birmingham Family, a life-sized bronze sculpture featuring sisters Roma and Emma Jones, with sons Kyan and Shaye, is being unveiled today.

The statue has been created by Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing and came after the subjects were chosen out of 372 families who applied.

It occupies a prominent place outside the new and came about after the Ikon Gallery raised £150,000 and scoured the city for the right family.

The project aimed to challenge the notion of what constituted a "real family" today and represent Birmingham’s cultural diversity.

In a statement after they were chosen as the subjects of the sculpture, the Joneses said: "Being mixed race, we feel at home here as it's so diverse and multicultural.

"As a result, we believe the mixed-race population in Brum will only increase. We feel truly amazed and honoured to be chosen to represent what it means to be a family in Birmingham."

Ms Wearing, who hails from Birmingham and attended Dartmouth High School, led a project for three years ahead of the statue being created.