Tag: Cheo

112. Millennium Parade

One of the unintended consequences of developing the Bristol harbourside has been the erection of hoardings in front of unrented retail spaces. Being Bristol, these would have been magnets for graffiti of all kinds. It would appear that the developers commissioned Cheo, a prolific local artist, to paint the hoardings to brighten up the area, and to prevent others from scrawling.

Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015
Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015

This four panel mural tells a story of a giant squid and pirates; a suitably nautical theme for Bristol.

Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, November 2015
Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, November 2015

People seem to take these murals for granted. Every time I go to Millennium Parade I watch, and I have never seen anyone stop to look at the art although I am sure they are conscious of it.

Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015
Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015

As always Cheo has plastered the panels with his trademark bees.

Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015
Cheo, Millennium Parade, Bristol, December 2015

7/10

105. Moon Street (5)

The Lakota nightclub in Moon Street is famous, not only in Bristol, but countrywide (as I have just found out from reading the wikipedia entry), and has had something of a turbulent recent history.

Cheo, the Lakota, Moon Street, Bristol
Cheo, the Lakota, Moon Street, Bristol

The area is a magnet for street artists, but the commissions on the walls of this club are outstanding. Cheo and Gregor Minto have given one of Bristol’s landmarks a remarkable identity.

Minto, the Lakota, Moon Street, Bristol
Minto, the Lakota, Moon Street, Bristol

If you live in Bristol, Moon Street is well worth a visit just to see these magnificent walls.

8.5/10

103. Frogmore Street (5)

This collaboration rounds off, for the time being, the different works of Bristol artists in this area. The wall in question is directly below the Banksy, and adjacent to the 45RPM and RichT wall.

It is a cheerful piece by Silent Hobo, Cheo and Deam (who seems to sign himself with variants of Deam, Deamz or Deamze). Each artist has sprayed a separate part of the wall in their own distinct styles.

Cheo Silent Hobo and Deamze, Frogmore Street, Bristol, July 2015
Cheo Silent Hobo and Deamze, Frogmore Street, Bristol, July 2015

The wall has been repainted reasonably regularly, although this has remained for a couple of years. I fully expect it will change again this year. The wall gets a load of attention from visitors who come to look at the Banksy above it.

I am fond of this work.

8/10.

95. New John Street (2)

I took this picture on a sunny day back in September 2015. This wall is a collaboration between Soker and Cheo, each with their own distinct style. Soker and his wildstyle burner and Cheo spraying a cartoon and the signature bee.

Soker and Cheo, New John Street, Bristol, September 2015
Soker and Cheo, New John Street, Bristol, September 2015

I would guess that Cheo’s work is a selfie of the two of them, but this is only a guess.

Soker and Cheo, New John Street, Bristol, September 2015
Soker and Cheo, New John Street, Bristol, September 2015

7/10

 

49. Hepburn Road

In September I took this picture of a mural by Cheo. There are a couple of things worth pointing out. The first is that he has not included one of his signature bees – perhaps not cool enough for the subject material.

Cheo, Hepburn Road, Bristol
Cheo, Hepburn Road, Bristol

Secondly, this picture does not look like a commission and is in an area where there is a lot of ‘permissive’ and ‘illegal’ art. I would always put Cheo into the former of these two categories.

7/10

4. Redland Station

Another mural by Cheo, that I have never really paid too much attention to, despite seeing it frequently.

Cheo, Redland Station, Bristol, July 2015
Cheo, Redland Station, Bristol, July 2015

This piece, which includes his signature bees, can be found on the end wall of the garages, at the entrance to the station. It is a cheerful, rural theme.

 

3. Broad Quay

There are two murals that appear to have been commissioned to celebrate the ‘Grand Appeal’, a charity that raises funds for Bristol Children’s Hospital. One of them dates back to 2013 and the Gromit Unleashed trail, the second, and very recent mural, links up with the Shaun in the City trail. They can be seen on Broad Quay next to the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Cheo, Shaun the Sheep, Broad Quay, Bristol, July 2015
Cheo, Shaun the Sheep, Broad Quay, Bristol, July 2015

The murals are by Cheo, a Bristol street artist whose trademark is a cartoon bumblebee that appears on most of his work. Cheo started in earnest in the 1980s and was clearly an emerging talent who won several prizes and awards as a youngster.

Cheo, Broad Quay, Bristol, July 2015
Cheo, Broad Quay, Bristol, July 2015

I am slowly becoming a fan of the cartoon style and admire the work of yet another Bristol-based street artist.

 

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