7018. Dean Lane skate park (845)

Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025
Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025

One of the fastest entries into the Bristol street art scene has to be that of Tera. I met him earlier this summer, painting his first ever piece (!) under Brunel Way, alongside Kid Crayon. The two have set up a symbiotic relationship. Tera is a Tattoo artist and runs a parlour in Bristol, which Kid Crayon has joined as a newbie, there is employment and some money to be made in body art. In return, Kid Crayon has been teaching Tera the finer points of street art. Both are learning really fast.

Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025
Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025

I met the larger-than-life Tera while he was well advanced with this piece and only had the writing and finishing touches to do. It is extraordinary to think that Tera has only painted a handful of times in his life, and can produce pieces like this that many artists take a lifetime to achieve.

Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025
Tera, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025

Tera clearly has a great understanding of form, colour, light and shade, and seems to have mastered can-control really quickly. The detail on the character’s mask and the pipes attached to the mask is awesome. A tidy bit of urban landscape and some great letters (TERA) round the piece off nicely. Naturally, there are one or two rough edges to the piece, but I believe Tera will be turning out some outstanding work in the future, and I am very much looking forward to seeing it.

Face mask

.

Unacknowledged smiles

bring social uncertainty

eyes can’t do it all

.

by Scooj

2988. Brunel Way bridge (34)

Unfortunately the photographs of this fine stencil by Madderdoit simply don’t do the piece justice, which is a pity because this is the first piece I have knowingly seen from this Bristol artist. How did that happen?

Madderdoit, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Madderdoit, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

The column piece features a woman wearing a blue face mask, which is I’m sure to become an iconic symbol for the year 2020. I see some similarities in technique to Stephen Quick’s work, which is of course a good thing. I love surprise pieces like this one, they keep me interested (not that that is difficult). I’d love to see more from Madderdoit.