The family of murdered teenager Ben Kinsella have unveiled ‘powerful’ new artwork calling for more progress on tackling knife crime.
London’s Grove Gallery is exhibiting art from Aidan Phelan, which incorporates Ben’s own GCSE artwork and a letter he wrote to Gordon Brown raising urgent concerns about violent crime.
Ben’s murder was one of the most high profile over the last 20 years, when he became the 17th teenager killed in London in 2008.
The then 16-year-old was chased down and stabbed to death in Islington by a group of teenagers after celebrating the end of his GCSEs.
Metro revealed in February almost half of all murders in the UK over the last two years have been due to stabbings or violent incidents with a blade.
The art collection, running from March 17th to April 17th, displays three new pieces ‘centered on hope and positivity’.
Ben’s sister Brooke Kinsella left a white handprint on a painting of doves, a nod to symbols that Ben had used in his GCSE artwork.
Brooke Kinsella told Metro: ‘Ben dreamed of being an artist, and for us as a family, he was an artist.
‘We chose a series of birds that Ben did. A bird is a symbol of hope and peace.
‘To take a really dark message and project a message of hope is incredibly powerful.
‘Art is a medium that resonates with many people in different ways. We need to use whatever ways we can to reach different audiences and to say that we all need to do our bit to tackle knife crime.’
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One of the artworks, by Aidan Phelan, shows a boy and a girl holding hands.
The bird on the boy’s T-Shirt belongs to Ben, the graphic on the girls bag and the wording is taken from Ben’s GCSE letter to Gordon Brown.
In that letter, sent to the Prime Minister as part of his GCSE coursework, Ben said: ‘Would it be wrong to tell you that youth violence is one of the biggest problems in society today?
‘The reality is murder is becoming a part of everyday life in society.
‘You pick up any newspaper and what is spread across the front page? Young kids dead, Dad in coma or pensioner fights for life.
‘It has to stop.’
Ben’s words were a chilling foreshadowing of his own death.
The teenager had been out at a local pub to celebrate the end of his GCSEs with his friends when he was attacked by a gang of other teenagers.
They were seeking revenge for an altercation in the club that had taken place earlier that evening, but Ben and his friends had absolutely nothing to do with the fight.
When the older boys caught up with Ben, in an entirely unprovoked attack, they stabbed him to death.
The three men, Juress Kika, Jade Braithwaite and Michael Alleyne were found guilty and sentenced to life for his death.
Ben’s sister, now 41, said: ‘The letter has always been heartbreaking for us to read. We found it after we lost him.
‘We did not realize he had so many concerns about society. That letter inspired us to drive those changes. We did give it to Gordon Brown after Ben died.’
The artist behind the exhibition at Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia is Aidan Phelan.
The 52-year-old told Metro: ‘All my work focuses on very dark topics. A lot of it features young kids wearing stab vests and images of knives.
‘But for these three new pieces, we incorporated a young boy and a young girl holding hands.
‘They are pieces of art centered on hope and positivity, but in a soft, subtle way.
‘It is always very sensitive when you come face to face with a young woman who has lost her teenage brother to a stabbing.
‘To hear that if Ben were alive, this is the kind of work he would be doing, that was really touching.’
Despite the positive intention of the message, Aidan is clear that change on knife crime can only come from government and politicians.
He added: ‘We all hope for change, but unless the government steps up and those in charge take action, nothing will happen.
‘You can do all the art in the world, the shows, the radio interviews, but the only way things truly change is from the top.’
Figures show that out of the 898 recorded murders in the UK over the last three years, 443 of these murders were committed using a knife, stabbing, or a sharp instrument, stats have shown.
The largest number of murders due to knife crime was in London, with 222 murders in the last two years
The Operations Manager of the Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity established after the teenager’s death to educate young people about the consequences of knife crime, hopes the artwork at Grove Gallery will kick start positive change.
Tom Jewkes told Metro: ‘It simply, London has the highest figures for knife crime and serious youth violence.
‘It is especially important that this is recognized in this piece of art.
‘On one hand, events like today honor the legacy of a family member taken too soon and showcase his artwork.
‘On the other hand, it is a powerful reminder of the loss which never goes away.
‘And that the universal suffering and devastation left behind is very much felt today.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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