Amy Winehouse: Exhibition marks 10th anniversary of singer's death with previously unseen images

'Amy Winehouse was determined to do things her way. She was not fragile in the way she had been painted,' photographer Phil Griffin described the singer


Amy Winehouse is being remembered in a new exhibition featuring previously unseen images of the star who died 10 years ago.

Photographer Phil Griffin was one of Ms Winehouse's closest collaborators. His friendship with the singer began in 2006 during the recording of her legendary Back to Black album.

Amy in The Light features re-imagined photos of Ms Winehouse taken by Griffin during that time that have, until now, not been shown before.

Credit: Phil Griffin/Brownsword Hepworth

The exhibition opens on July 26 at London's Brownsword Hepworth gallery and is available to view online.

Mr Griffin said the reworked images helped him remember his "gentle" relationship with Ms Winehouse.

“When I thought about revisiting my work with Amy to mark this 10 years of life since her, It was with some trepidation. My relationship with Amy was gentle, not rock n roll, nor dramatic or chaotic at all," he said.

Credit: Phil Griffin/Brownsword Hepworth

"It was simple, I always felt protective, always felt close, even at a distance. These new works - often in mirror or dual format - each image very slightly different from the next, allow me to look at Amy as though she is both Present & Absent in the same moment, it reminds me that whilst we lost her too soon, we have her forever in so many other ways.

"This new re-imagination of her image has allowed me to recover some memories, re-look and re-wonder at all the colours Amy was to us all.”

Credit: Phil Griffin/Brownsword Hepworth

Friday, July 23 marked 10 years since Ms Winehouse, best known for songs including Back To Black and Rehab, died of alcohol poisoning at her home in Camden, north London, at the age of 27. 

Across her celebrated career, Ms Winehouse won several prestigious awards, including a number of Grammys, a Brit, a Mobo and three Ivor Novellos.

Credit: Phil Griffin/Brownsword Hepworth

Ms Winehouse was immortalised with a life-size bronze statue – complete with her trademark beehive hairdo – in Camden on what would have been her 31st birthday in 2014.


Amy In The Light at the Brownsword Heyworth gallery, London and online until 14 September 2021.