Thursday doors – 9 October 2025 – continuing Marrakesh doors

Doors 327 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part VII)

This week’s selection of door photographs continues on from last week’s solo doorscursion which I managed to squeeze in on one of the mornings of our trip, accompanied on the way by a little light rain.

One of the things that is notable about doors in Marrakesh is that it would seem that the occupants are extremely proud of their doors and door surroundings. Even though the streets are a little untidy with exposed wires and power lines, everywhere and an abundance of dust and rubble, much of it probably after effects of the destructive earthquake in September 2023, great care is taken to present a good-looking entrance to homes and businesses. Enjoy the doors:

Gateway to the traditional arts area, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Gateway to the traditional arts area, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Keyhole gateway, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Keyhole gateway, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Trash, cat, door, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Trash, cat, door, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Door within an industrial gate, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Door within an industrial gate, Route Sidi Boudchich, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Stunning green panelled door and wall decorations to match, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Stunning green panelled door and wall decorations to match, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Fine studded door, with red surround, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Fine studded door, with red surround, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Studded patterned door and beautiful decorative tiles, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Studded patterned door and beautiful decorative tiles, Trik Tikhizrit, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Studded metal door within a door, Derb Bougaldone, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Studded metal door within a door (for little people), Derb Bougaldone, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Old brick gateway, Derb Bougaldone, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Old brick gateway, Derb Bougaldone, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Classic wooden door with large bolt and keyhole doorway, Rue Douar Graoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Classic wooden door with large bolt and keyhole doorway, Rue Douar Graoua, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025

As a note to myself, I will probably do a post of the Marrakesh cats (and a door or two) and some other street scenes at some point, to give more of a taste of the place. I hope you have a great weekend.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post.

7200. Lucky Lane (9)

Paper Walls, Lucky Lane, Bristol, September 2025
Paper Walls, Lucky Lane, Bristol, September 2025

One of the great things about the paint jam in Lucky Lane, organised by the Bristol Mural Collective, is that it has introduced me to several talented artists whose work I have never seen before. Paper Walls (Hannah) is a sign designer/painter based in Bristol, whose work has a wonderful sense of nostalgia about it, and is of the highest quality.

Paper Walls, Lucky Lane, Bristol, September 2025
Paper Walls, Lucky Lane, Bristol, September 2025

This Japanese Maneki-neko lucky cat (or beckoning cat) was one of two painted in the lane, during the paint jam, aligning with the luck theme. It is beautifully painted on the challenging surface of a shutter. I love the INDEPENDENTS sign to the top right, but that is what she does, I guess. A wonderful piece and I hope the first of many to be painted with the Collective.

7193. St Werburghs tunnel (526)

Butch and Solar, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025
Butch and Solar, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025

Thinking back, it is quite unusual to see any work from the PLB (Placebo) crew in St Werburghs tunnel, but here, breaking the trend, is a two-piece collaboration from Butch and Solar. I suspect that there is a third artist involved in this piece in the form of the cat character in the middle, but it is unsigned, so I can’t be sure.

Butch, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025
Butch, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025

To the left is a really lovely piece of writing by Butch. I love his choice of letters, they really work for me, and the way he lays them out in a higgledy-piggledy fashion appeals. The letter fills in red are good and bounded by a strong orange line, all neatly placed on a white cloud background.

Solar, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025
Solar, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2025

To the right, Solar has painted his customary slightly wibbly letters in striking red, with black decorations and an uplifting yellow drop shadow. The whole thing is vibrant and eye-catching and, from my perspective, shows great development and improvement/confidence from both artists. Who did paint the cat?

7184. M32 Spot (207)

Mesk and ES3, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025
Mesk and ES3, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025

This is one of my favourite spots in Bristol, and is the perfect place for a double (and sometimes triple) collaboration. This time, Mesk has combined his talents with ES3 (an artist I don’t know), set on a sharp yellow background.

Mesk, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025
Mesk, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025

Mesk has kept things simple, which is incredibly effective in this case. His overlapping letters cascade from left to right in a slightly decreasing height. The tidy fill in four wavy horizontal bands is all that is needed here, and the solid border/drop shadow does some of the ‘heavy lifting’. A phenomenal piece.

ES3, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025
ES3, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025

To the right, ES3, who I assume was visiting Bristol, and whose work I am not familiar with, has painted a fun combination piece. A cat character with crazy eyes is painted alongside the letters ES3, which mirrors the fill style of the adjacent Mesk piece, but in red colours. The piece is rounded off with a drop shadow and blue border. Definitely a gratifying find.

7169. Cumberland Basin

Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2025
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2025

What a strange piece from Daz Cat. A cat and a character, but what brings these two together? I can’t figure out the story at all. I think this is the first cartoon-style figure I have seen of a person like this from Daz Cat.

Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2025
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2025

The character reminds me of Cletus Spuckler from The Simpsons, he has that kind of hillbilly look about him. I love the way that Daz Cat is always pushing his own boundaries, and loves to tell a good story through his art.

7143. Narroways

Daz Cat, Narroways, Bristol, August 2025
Daz Cat, Narroways, Bristol, August 2025

In recent weeks I have been enjoying a new walk route with the dog, up at a little nature reserve called Narroways which rises high above St Werburghs is nestled in between railway tracks and crosses over St Werburghs tunnel. There are a couple of railway bridges along the pathway, and this piece by Dazcat was on a wall alongside one of them.

Daz Cat, Narroways, Bristol, August 2025
Daz Cat, Narroways, Bristol, August 2025

A cat with two heads, possibly Siamese twin cats, stare out from the wall at passers-by. As Daz Cat pieces go, I imagine he painted this quite quickly, and it has the simple charm of his earlier works, no complex story underpinning the portraits, just a couple of cats. A nice find.

7121. M32 roundabout J3 (700)

Hemper, Dun Sum and Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
Hemper, Dun Sum and Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025

What a wonderful collaboration from Hemper, Dun Sum and Hypo, one that slipped a little under the radar and didn’t perhaps receive quite the fanfare it merited. Three rather different pieces, each making an individual visual impact.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025

To the left is one of Hemper’s shortened ‘HEMS’ pieces, where the overlapping letters are compressed laterally. This is a pattern he has been following for the last month or so, perhaps marking a quieter phase after his expansive work earlier in the summer. As ever, the piece, which has some lovely fill patterns and expert white highlights, is oozing with class.

Dun Sum, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
Dun Sum, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025

It is impossible not to be drawn to the cat character by Dun Sum. Although I have (and love) a dog, I have always been a cat person at heart. I have to say that there is something that creeps me out a little bit about this cat, perhaps it is the smile or maybe the eyes, but the overall effect bis a little intimidating, but isn’t that cats all over? It is really nicely painted and a great focal point for the graffiti writing either side of it.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025

To the right is another fine piece from Hypo – I say another, because he has been turning out so many great works with alarming regularity this summer. The aquamarine colours used for the fills of this piece have a tranquility about them, and with all the bubbles and spots has a distinctly aquatic feel. As I said before, three distinct individual styles coming together in this great collaboration.

7074. St Werburghs tunnel (Ejits)

Ejits, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Ejits, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

A short while back, Kid Crayon organised a paint jam for Frazzled magazine and assembled a fine line-up of artists, including Ejits. There is something very charming about her stylised cartoon characters, which tend to have a cheeky side to their personality.

Ejits, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Ejits, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

This is a wonderful eye-catching cat, beautifully illustrated and perfectly finished. There is two-tone texture in the cat’s face and a strong dark pink border to keep everything neat and tidy.  I am an admirer of her work, and would love to see (find) more of it on our streets.

7065. Knowle West (1)

Pekoe and SPZero76, Knowle West, Bristol, July 2025
Pekoe and SPZero76, Knowle West, Bristol, July 2025

I knew that there has been a paint jam somewhere in South Bristol recently, but I had no idea where. Then along came John Bennett who occasionally reads this blog and sent me the location. Even then, it took me a while to find this treasure trove, but it was well worth persevering to locate the quiet little side street.

Pekoe and SPZero76, Knowle West, Bristol, July 2025
Pekoe and SPZero76, Knowle West, Bristol, July 2025

This collaboration from Pekoe and SPZero76 is the first of several posts from this little backwater. Pekoe’s portrait is notable for the cat perched on the woman’s head and the inclusion of shoulders and upper torso, which is so often missing in Pekoe’s work. SPZero76 has painted one of his crazy raccoons, which includes a little cat sitting on a cloud of spray paint. I love the contrast in their comments too. Pekoe’s earnest ‘fund art not war’ contrasting with SPZero76’s rather hilarious ‘read more comics’. Such is the diversity of the street art community.

7035. Unity Street

Irony, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2025
Irony, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2025

One of the downsides of working from home (and to be frank, there are mostly upsides), is that I don’t get to wander around the streets of the centre of town as much as I used to. I am leading up to an excuse about why I haven’t posted this piece before, and the simple answer is I haven’t found it before. I am only human and can’t be on top of everything.

Irony, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2025
Irony, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2025

The beautiful Siamese cat on the door is by Irony – one of the best artists in the UK, in my view. The piece was painted for/curated by Upfest, and it is a rare expansion of Upfest’s sphere of influence into North Bristol. The piece is looking a little tired, and I would have loved to have found it sooner – I am guessing it is several years old. So happy though to bag another Irony piece, they are the best.