7778. Cumberland Basin

Turoe, Jody and Fade, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Turoe, Jody and Fade, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

I’m not sure what the occasion was, but it doesn’t really matter when three such accomplished artists come together. The triptych combination collaboration is by Turoe on the left, Jody in the middle and Fade on the right.

Turoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Turoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

Turoe has been a little more active of late which is great to see, and it might signal an improvement in his health which I understand has been a challenge for him in recent years. This is a gorgeous piece of graffiti writing, which with its white and grey fill, gives the impression of being reflective chrome or other metal. A decent red drop shadow lifts the letters above the dark velvety purple background.

Jody, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Jody, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

Any reference to Star Wars is always welcome on these pages and this outstanding portrait of Darth Maul by Jody is top drawer stuff. (note to self – prepare a Star Wars gallery). Jody has captured the character perfectly and manages to convey his attitude and menace. The background of the planet Mustafar works well with Darth Maul’s lightsabre

Fade, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Fade, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

Fade had a quiet winter, but now that the weather is fine (almost too fine) he has been out and about more frequently. This classy bit of wildstyle graffiti writing is vibrant and full of movement augmented by the squiggly border. Some nice transitions in the fills with reversed bubbles appears to have been applied with such ease. None of this is easy, and these three artists are at the top of their game.

7773. Cumberland Basin

Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

This is a brilliant piece of anti-style graffiti writing from Taboo, which demonstrates clearly how interconnected and varied the art world is. The piece is a touching tribute to David Hockney, whose own unconventional style won over the public’s imagination and whose legacy will forever influence artists worldwide.

 

Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

Taboo’s unconventional green letters sit on a pink background, but it is the scene inside the second ‘O’ that steals the show. There is a little pastiche of a swimming pool and diving-board, a theme so familiar in many of Hockney’s paintings. Such a lovely idea and tribute to pay. Bravo!

7766. Cumberland Basin

Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

You can wait an awfully long time for a Ments piece, and then out of nowhere, two come along in quick succession. Following on from his superb Upfest piece, Ments has painted this gentle colourful beauty on the long wall in Cumberland Basin.

Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

Preparation can be everything for some pieces, and the lilac wall is a perfect starting point for this abstract piece of graffiti writing. The subtle colours are arranged to create a crystalline appearance with any hard edges softened with some skilful blending. The whole piece probably says MENTS, but even if it doesn’t the overall effect is one of calm.

7756. Cumberland Basin

RBN One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
RBN One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Although he has only relatively recently come onto my radar, RBN One, who writes ARBIEN has been smashing it with his incredibly colourful and dynamic pieces of graffiti writing. I don’t know whether he is painting more often, or whether I am noticing his pieces more, but whatever the reason, it is all good news.

RBN One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
RBN One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

This writing is filled with the tried and tested combination of pinks and blues, which work so well together. The fill patterns and designs are beautifully varied through the letters, with spots, blocks, drips and cracks liberally dispersed across the piece. Classy work from RBN One.

7741. Cumberland Basin

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Werm is going through something of a purple patch lately, and I am really enjoying his ‘next level’ pieces. As his style develops and evolves he is growing in confidence and technical ability. I think that he is also discovering that sometimes less is more, and that clarity of presentation pretty much trumps all else.

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

In this piece of graffiti writing, Werm has written his name into a kind of symmetrical diamond shape, partially framed on a light blue rectangle. The red colour stands out nicely on the turquoise background. A neat and tidy piece that shows off Werm’s talent well.

7738. Cumberland Basin

Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Mind 49, as I mentioned in a recent post of his work, has moved into a new groove, in which he is presenting portraits, where only the eyes and nose are visible, while the rest of the face is obscured behind a cover of colour/patterns/designs, as if wearing a balaclava.

Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

There is a clever and deliberate juxtaposition between the photorealism of the exposed parts of the face, and the rather childish and scruffy elements around it. The daisies seem to be a particular favourite theme for Mind 49 at the moment, and here he has included a couple of small captions: “Cut and run” and “Sometimes don’t do it”.

I may be way off the mark here, but I can’t help feeling that this presentation style demonstrates a touch of modesty or even a lack of confidence. Mind 49 is more than capable of painting excellent portraits, but it feels like this ‘self-harming’ of his work is masking something else, almost coming across as imposter syndrome. It is, having said all of this, very unusual, challenging and creates a great talking point.

7222. Cumberland Basin

Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

I haven’t seen a piece by London graffiti writer Tizer for a very long time, so it was great to come across this one on the long wall recently. The piece was painted as part of a paint jam that included ARSA, Minto and RBN One amongst others.

Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The combination piece features his TIZER letters bookended by a pair of characters, one liking rather sweet and the other ghoulish and sinister. Tizer’s style isn’t crisp and clean, but rather more detailed and brush-strokey if you know what I mean. A very nice surprise from the occasional visitor.

7719. Cumberland Basin

Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

This is a very tidy piece by Kid Crayon on the long wall at Cumberland Basin. The combination of letters and characters works really well, and the whole thing feels like an integrated cartoon-style burner.

Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The large blocky letters are not uniform in distribution and size, but do stick to a font style. The character in the centre of the piece is holding a balloon fish – don’t ask me why, he just is. Another example of Kid Crayon’s creative and humorous work. Brilliant.

7707. Cumberland Basin

Zake and Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Zake and Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

I would describe this collaboration by Zake and Hire as unusual, for two key reasons. Zake has painted a character, rather than one of his face caricatures, and Hire, who tends to be a graffiti writer, with the occasional rabbit thrown in, has painted a character, which, without the signature and a conversation with Zake as he was tidying up, I would never have guessed was painted by him.

Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

These two seem to have paired up quite a lot of late, especially since the PWA crew has become a little diluted, with both Face 1st and Chill leaving town. Zake has painted a humanoid robot, looking a little sinister, set on an urban landscape. Is this a dystopian future piece?

Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Hire, meanwhile, has painted a comic-book style villain (or that is how I see it). The thick-set character with large, brilliantly crafted hands, is holding an old CRT television. Given that I don’t see many characters by Hire, I think this is superb, and hope to see more such pieces in the future. A fine and surprising collaboration.

7705. Cumberland Basin

ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Just a quick one this afternoon – the day has somewhat run away from me and I have a very busy schedule. Painted as part of a paint jam, this is a bold and colourful piece by ARSA.

ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The chunky, regular letters that give the word a bilaterally symmetrical appearance are filled with blocks of colour that follow a pattern through the piece. I wonder to myself whether the pink is a bit too much, but I guess that without it there would be a risk of it being a bit flat. ARSA is becoming a bit of a regular this year, stepping up both the quality and quantity of his graffiti writing pieces.