Dean Lane – Natural adventures

7740. Dean Lane skate park (930)

Nol and Mul, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Upfest brings with it all sorts of additional benefits, including what I like to call ‘extras’ where artists who have been invited to paint official Upfest walls, also leave behind a piece or two on Unofficial walls.

Here, Nol from the Netherlands and Mul from London? Or Newcastle? Have combined their talents to decorate the curved wall in Dean Lane skate park. The cheeky sticker on the left is by Nol, and the running heart by Mul. These two have collaborated before in Bristol, possibly during s previous Upfest festival.

7736. Dean Lane skate park (930)

Awkward and Benjimagnetic, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

I’m not sure I have seen Benjimagnetic and Awkward collaborate since last year, but here they are in fine fettle, on the side wall of the swimming pool, tucked behind a bushy fence, well out of sight of most passers by.

The letters in this collaborative piece are by Benjimagnetic, and I can’t for the life of me read them. He normally writes 3 letters, so this is quite different. The cheeky, creepy red and yellow characters are by Awkward and augment the letters really well. A nicely integrated collaboration from the pair.

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Veks and Bandito, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

I have had a very challenging day. Super-busy at work. Laptop overheating and running extremely slowly, I’m overheating and running extremely slowly, and I have had to squeeze this post into a compressed lunch break. At least this post features a top combination collaboration by Veks and Bandito.

Veks has painted a classic b-boy character wearing the uniform of hoodie and baseball cap, and clutching a spray can. Beautifully presented is a timeless retro style. Perfect.

I haven’t seen anything by Bandito for years, so it was a very pleasant surprise indeed to see this piece in a tickz memorial wall paint jam. His slim letters are so characteristic of his work. The letters spell TICKZ and filled with horizontal colour bands that are beautifully blended. The slim yellow border finishes it of nicely.

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Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

This collaboration in Dean Lane from Dibz and Fade is as near to graffiti writing perfection as you are likely to see anywhere (in my view). The wildstyle lettering spells out DIBZ on the left and FADE on the right.

There is a superb metallic effect going on here, a little like the one I was explaining a few days ago by Hire, a stone’s throw away from this wall. The letters look like they are made of shiny chrome metal and reflecting the ground and sky – clever work. The writing is set on a purple splash with magnificent shadows, and the deep 3D drop shadow on the letters adds tons of perspective. Great collaboration perfectly executed.

7720. Dean Lane skate park (927)

A huge spin-off benefit of Upfest is that some artists hang around the city for a few days and leave behind a few ‘extras’ in some of the spots that locals like to paint. In my view this is a great way to get better acquainted with artist’s work from outside Bristol.

One artist that left at least one ‘extra’ is Molar, based in Brighton. His name is more associated with his toothy character pieces, but it would seem that he is enjoying his writing that looks like letters taken out of newspapers and magazines and stuck to the wall independently resembling a collage. It is a very effective technique that is well carried out. Here his letters simply spell out ‘Do it’. More from Molar soon.

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Hire has been pushing all sorts of boundaries lately and varying his work considerably, including a character piece from a week or two back. In this superb piece of graffiti writing he spells out ODIAH, one of two words he tends to write.

What is really special about this piece is that it has a metallic appearance that is complete deception. The combination of blues and greys leaves the brain figuring out whether to look at those colours individually or to see what looks like a solid piece of reflecting metal. This is a technique used by many artists, perhaps the best being Fanakapan – see below to understand what I mean.

Fanakapan, Hawley Mews, Camden, September 2016

7685. Dean Lane skate park (925)

The strong tradition of graffiti writing in Bristol, that first emerged in the 1980s, has been upheld by a handful of dedicated and talented artists, whose numbers have swelled thanks to their persistence. At the heart of this community is Turoe, who has created this lovely piece for Hemper, another in this merry band.

The letters spelling HEMS appear as a burst of colour on the black buffed wall, made all the more eye-catching thanks to the flames licking the perimeter of the piece. This is wildstyle graffiti writing at its best, and we are blessed in Bristol that some of the best in class call the city home.

7681. Dean Lane skate park (925)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Mr consistency, that is the name of the game for Trafficity. He produces his complicated ZIOS letters time and again to his tried and tested formula. Quite how he is able to replicate this with such accuracy in so many spots is beyond admirable.

There is a lovely symmetry about his work, which usually incorporates three horizontal colour fills, as in this piece. He has a wonderful skill for blending simplicity with complexity. Always great work.

7660. Dean Lane skate park (924)

Here we have another classic combination collaboration from Dibz and Fade. Both artists will have been involved in the whole piece, but Dibz leading on the writing and Fade on the alligator characters.

The alligators are called Brutus and Nero and are taken from the Disney cartoon film, The Rescuers. This piece reflects the technical skill of the two artists in every aspect of its presentation, and it all feels so easy when these two get together, but it takes years of practice and abundant raw talent to be this good.

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Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026

Dibz and fade have been knocking out collaborations with unstoppable pace recently, and I must confess it is stretching me just to be able to keep up with their activity.

This is an outstanding collaboration where both artists have contributed to the final offering. The letters spell addict, and I am guessing reflects their obsession with graffiti writing. A stunning fill and cosmic background show off their talent perfectly.

	scooj on Rewarded
	scooj on 7741. Cumberland Basin
	Sheree on 7741. Cumberland Basin
	beth on Rewarded
	scooj on 7740. Dean Lane skate park…

	scooj on Rewarded
	scooj on 7741. Cumberland Basin
	Sheree on 7741. Cumberland Basin
	beth on Rewarded
	scooj on 7740. Dean Lane skate park…

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