If one was to describe a typical piece of artwork by Cheo, this character work on the long hoarding in Fishponds would probably tick all the boxes… the archetype if you like. The character, a man wearing a cap and ski mask on his head and large gold chain round his neck is posing with two spray cans, one in each hand.
Cheo, Goodneston Road, Bristol, July 2026
Cheo’s cartoon style is most endearing, especially when it includes the ever-present signature bee, in this instance lurking on the peak of the character’s cap. There is a nonchalant confidence in Cheo’s work, which is always presented to perfection. Solid fills are solid, folds in clothes well-thought-out, exaggerated features on his characters amusing and the composition, usually telling a story beautifully considered. Here is Cheo in a nutshell.
This outstanding scene was painted by Cheo as part of a recent first anniversary tribute paint jam to the departed Bristol graffiti writer Tickz (Dave Tanner). And what a magnificent piece to paint in his honour.
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Cheo tells the most incredible stories in his outstanding cartoon pieces, and here I think we have a representation of Tickz as a spray can leaning up against a tree stump. Some lilies, lilies symbolize the restored innocence of the soul and the resurrection of the dead, are poking out on the far side of the tree root. A beautifully painted and poignant piece.
Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
A quick one today. I am in Cornwall with work, and have an early start. I wrote this one last night. Cheo is a firm favourite at Upfest, where he gets to showcase his extraordinary talent in front of a much wider audience than usual.
Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
This is a marvellous and imaginative creation set in an ancient Egyptian scene with mummies and aliens having a bit of a brawl. This is a wonderfully detailed piece, and there is so much going on, but it is the scarab beetle that wins the day for me.
Over the last year or so, Cheo seems to have upped his game (if that is at all possible), certainly in the frequency of his wall decorations. Cheo is a very talented artist who has been part of the ‘establishment’ in Bristol, but never lost his contemporary edge, and appears to be equally happy with his commercial work and his ‘graffiti’ art.
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026
This piece in Dean Lane is in a narrow section and quite difficult to photograph – where would I be without a wide angle facility on my phone? The character in the piece, wearing a LIDL T-shirt has been spraying (one assumes) a CHEO throw up in green and blue. He is holding a spray can out of which a rather surreal scene unfolds… a pink blob character, complete with a plunger stuck to his head and smoking a cigar. What!? Great work from a master craftsman.
Dibz, Cheo and Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026
What pure joy to come across this outstanding production piece by Dibz, Cheo and Soker. For anyone older than me, the piece is inspired by the long-running children’s cartoon Spongebob Squarepants.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026
To the left Dibz had filled his outstanding wildstyle writing with the colours of Spongebob’s friend Patrick, the starfish, really cleverly done and as you would expect from Dibz, tight as a nut.
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026
In the middle, Cheo has painted a brilliant rendition of Squidward Tentacles, with a little sea snail on his back. Naturally the character is up to no good with some spray cans, and Cheo has included his signature bee, as you’d expect.
Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026
To the right-hand side of the triptych is another remarkable piece of wildstyle writing from Soker, which has been filled with the colours of the star of the show himself, Spongebob. I love the attention to detail with the inclusion of his little red tie.
In addition to the three main characters, the three artists have added so much detail to the background, creating a masterpiece, which fans of the cartoon would relish. Utterly brilliant and next-level.
3Dom, Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
Every once in a while a top-end collaborative piece appears, and when it does, it simply needs to be admired for its craftsmanship. This is a wicked three-piece collaboration from three established and gifted artists, 3Dom, Dibz and Cheo.
3Dom, Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
I don’t know if there is an overall theme here, but on the left is an anti-war piece by 3Dom featuring a warring world going up in flames, and a frog-type character seemingly in despair. The gold and blue writing from Dibz is a classic piece of wildstyle writing, delivered with total competence and control. Finally, the TV head character on the right by Cheo has overtones of Evil Edna, a character from a children’s cartoon series called Willow the Wisp. The whole thing is both brilliant and unsettling. Bravo!
Cheo, Dibz and Ulow, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
Lots to see and admire in this wonderful triptych from Cheo, Dibz and Ulow, painted during a ‘high end’ paint jam celebrating the latter’s birthday. The whole wall, (see last photograph) was sheer class.
Cheo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
First up in this little sequence of three is a brilliant B Boy character by Cheo, with his second piece of the paint jam. A perfect cartoon-style, with so much detail to enjoy, and of course the trademark bee.
Dibz, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
In the middle of this triptych is an outstanding piece of graffiti writing by Dibz which appropriately spells out ULOW. Beautifully designed letters and fills have to give way a little to some amazing exploding pink bubbles. A nicely balanced piece.
Ulow, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
Finally, all eyes are on the amazing character by the birthday boy himself. Ulow has painted an extraordinary comic-style full portrait of a young woman dancing, or so it appears. Ulow has created enormous depth with his perspective, and accentuated the muscle-tone incredibly skilfully. Truly stunning work from all three artists.
Minto, Cheo, Hypo, Ulow, Dibz, Soker, Rusk, Shade One and Turoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
This wall has hosted some utterly outstanding pieces over the years, and this combination collaboration from Dibz and Cheo is right up there with the very best of them. The first thing to notice about this wonderful piece is just how neatly it has been executed and how well it stands out on the black background.
Cheo and Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2025
The comic character, painted by Cheo is holding up a small board on which Dibz has written his name – it is a brilliantly clever way to present a character and graffiti writing together in a contextual storytelling scenario. There are so many details in the collaboration to enjoy, such as the signature bee, the laminate wooden board peeling and drips from the letters, and my favourite bit, the plaster on the character’s nose. Pure genius from Dibz and Cheo.
Fade, Jody, Dibz, Cheo and Acid Face with a Brace, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
In Bristol, we are really lucky and get to see a lot of collaborations and paint jams about the place, bringing together local artists who are often joined by visitors, invited or passing through. We get to see all sorts of different styles and levels, and then occasionally a top drawer special production like this one from Fade, Jody, Dibz, Cheo and Acid Face with a Brace.
Fade, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
Photographing this production in its entirety was something of a challenge due to its sheer length and some difficult light conditions, with so much open sky above the wall. To start us off on this wall we have a semi-submerged piece by Fade, with the water level cleverly portrayed using different shades of colour above and below the water line, a theme continued by each artist through the production. Some dramatic skies round off Fade’s section nicely.
Jody, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
Next up is a portrait piece by Jody featuring a warrior with a deep fur collar and long sword, so I am imagining a Viking theme going on, although I can’t help feeling that the hairdo doesn’t quite match the machismo of the character.
Dibz, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
In the centre and holding the whole production together is a piece of typically brilliant writing from Dibz, again, with the water line running through it and incorporating a wonky long sword. The dramatic skies also continue through this story.
Cheo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
Cheo brings a whole different style to the piece, while faithfully following the Viking idea. His cartoon warrior, wading through the water, is festooned with long blonde hair tied up with red bands. His snarling face is made rather comical with the tilt of his helmet. Of course, a trademark bee, also with a helmet, is in attendance.
Acid Face with a Brace, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025
Rounding off the production is some more writing from Acid Face with a Brace, whose collaboration with Dibz and Fade in Dean Lane from earlier in the summer is still very much intact. The theme is beautifully embraced by Acid Face with a Brace, and he has included a wave breaking over his letters, mirroring the Fade piece at the other end. Awesomeness all round.
Hypo, Cheo and Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2025
Birthday paint jams have definitely become more of a thing since I started writing about street art (about ten years now). This was a well attended birthday celebration for Hypo, which turned out some superb pieces. This is a triptych from the birthday boy, Cheo and Hemper.
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2025
I’ve pretty much said all there is to say about Hypo’s work in so many posts over the last couple of years, and this is another fine example of his wildstyle writing, perhaps more cryptic than some of his pieces. What an accolade that so many great artists came out to celebrate with him.
Cheo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2025
Cheo is one of the ‘godfathers’ of character work in Bristol, and this is a superb cartoon-style piece featuring an artist (is it Hypo?) pondering whether he should be using red or yellow paint. The animation is so full of humour and movement, it almost feels like watching a film clip. Of course, a signature bee is in attendance.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2025
Hemper always, always turns out outstanding pieces. This one is as creative as ever, and spells out Hems in blue and white dappled letters set on a red splash. Everything in on point, and it is easy to see that this is the work of a graffiti writing genius. Three great pieces coming together in this birthday collaboration.
Natural adventures 