Tag: ESKA

6963. Stokes Croft

ESKA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2025
ESKA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2025

Eska is an itinerant artist who lives a houseboat lifestyle and drifts from place to place. His stays in Bristol are always very welcome and accompanied by a number of stunning graffiti writing pieces, that bring something a little different to our streets.

ESKA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2025
ESKA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2025

This gorgeous piece is one of three high-end pieces on the hoarding around what used to be the Blue Mountain nightclub. The other pieces are by Kid Krishna and Hemper and all three are beauties. There is a lot going on in this piece, which has anamorphic writing that lifts out of the wall in a superb 3D illusion. In addition to the letters, I presume spelling ESKA, there are his tiny trademark figures, with long shadows, scattered around the ‘flat’ surfaces of the piece. There are also watery surfaces with reflections too, perhaps an oblique reference to Bristol Harbour. Eska’s work is of the highest order and I look forward to his next visit to the city.

6871. Dean Lane skate park (822)

Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025

I have met ESKA on a couple of occasions, and he is a genuinely nice bloke. In our chats, I was under the impression that he was passing through Bristol, as he has quite an itinerant lifestyle. However, it seems that he is hanging around longer than I thought, which is brilliant news, because his work is outstanding, and quite different from the Bristol style we are used to seeing here.

Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025

This is a fine piece on the back of the long ramp in the skate park. Normally, his letters spell out ESKA, but I am not convinced that is the case here. His colour choices are superb, and there is a remarkable anamorphic effect, with great depth in the piece.

Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025

One of the special features of Eska’s writing is hidden in the small details, such as the little figures watching on at some futuristic spaceships or something like that. Always, his work contains plenty of hidden messages and symbolism, and of course they are finished to an incredibly high standard. Long may his stay in Bristol last.

6800. M32 roundabout J3 (664)

Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025

I know that Eska likes to travel around a bit – I think he lives on a houseboat, but I am pleased to note that he spends quite a lot of time in Bristol, and his pieces are becoming familiar landmarks all over the city. I guess the floating harbour is a handy place to moor up, combining his lifestyle with his artwork.

Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025

Eska’s highly symbolic pieces are a form of anamorphic writing, but with so much more going on besides, particularly if you have a closer look. I think the letters spell ESKA, but can’t be too sure, but in amongst the platforms and surfaces created by his writing you can find tiny scenes going on.

Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
Eska, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025

A close up of the bottom section near the signature shows that this piece was for the World Wall Stylers ‘Space Jam’ challenge. You can also see some tiny figures and their long shadows gazing across the piece.

6703. Dean Lane skate park (803)

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

I have been incredibly lucky recently with the timing of my walks and have met with several artists while they are painting, even yesterday bumping in to Hemper (second time in a week) and Hypo. On this particular visit to Dean Lane, I encountered ESKA and his partner, just as he was finishing up and taking photographs of the completed piece. What is weird is that I first met him in this exact spot last October.

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

There is always a lot going on in ESKA’s work, which is filled with symbolism. His anamorphic letters are heavily disguised, and form the framework for some little micro-scenes about the place. Lots of shadows and archways with light, a little reminiscent of the perspective work of the Italian artist Gerogio De Chirico.

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

The colours work really well together and if you step back the whole piece looks amazing, but it is not until you get up close that you start to notice a whole other world happening, for example there are little figures dotted all over the piece, each one casting a long shadow. This is a piece that needs to be studied as well as admired.

6485. Cumberland Basin

ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

It would seem that itinerant artist ESKA is staying in Bristol a little longer than I had been expecting… perhaps he is enjoying the opportunity to paint walls in Bristol too seductive. This is the third piece I have posted since his arrival, and I note that there is a new piece on the Cheltenham Road at The Carriageworks which I have yet to photograph.

ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

ESKA’s work is a whirlwind of letters, anamorphic shapes and symbolism which come together in perfect harmony aided by clever colour theming. This is a truly stunning piece. In future I think I will have to take a few close up shots of his work, because there is so much hidden detail in the piece, which really needs to be seen and studied. Sensational and unique stuff.

6467. M32 Spot (194)

ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024

This is an utterly magnificent piece taking up the whole board under the M32 by travelling artist ESKA. It is one of at least three pieces he has dropped while staying I;Bristol, and possibly more, but Being in Cornwall at the moment, I have lost touch a little.

ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024

This epic piece is a feast for the eyes, with a stunning colour palette of goods and silvers. There is so much going here with the combined writing and symbolism. To be appreciated fully it really needs to be seen up close because there is a lot of detail that isn’t captured with the full image, and I now rather regret not taking close-ups. ESKA has been a breath of fresh air o; the Bristol scene.

6441. Dean Lane skate park (768)

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

Ooh, it was a genuine pleasure to meet ESKA and his partner while he was painting this absolute beauty. I have not come across the artist before, but that is not all that surprising, because he travels around the country on a barge, which is currently docked in Bristol Floating Harbour – I understand that his boat is easy to seek out, because it has his artwork festooned on the outside.

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

While ESKA was painting I struck up a conversation with his partner who told me that there is a lot of symbolism in his pieces and that everything has a meaning – unpicking this might be quite difficult, so I will probably stick with talking about the aesthetic quality of the piece.

ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

Unfortunately I never got a photograph of the full completed wall, because by the time I returned, somebody had painted over the left-hand edge of the piece, but you can see from the WIP shot what it might have looked like. The colour palette is gorgeous, and I love the way ESKA has incorporated his letters into the magical scene. This piece is a real feast for the eyes. More to come from this itinerant artist.