I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
I have said it before, but it is repeating, that there was a good blend of local and visiting artists at Upfest this year, rather more Bristol-based artists had a rare chance to paint, like I am Ian, with this bright cartoon piece in Greenway Bush Lane.
I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The portrait piece is a rather bizarre scene of a person with a very large nose smelling a flower. The flower stalk is of a most peculiar shape, and being held carefully by a hand, while a wasp comes into shot, looking like it might do some damage. A strange and weirdly compelling piece.
Inzi One, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Continuing on from yesterday’s post and the aquatic theme, is this wonderful fish by Inzi One. I couldn’t find out a huge amount about the artist, but she has a Facebook page that presents her brief biography as follows: InziOne is a Freelance Artist working in Graphic Design, Custom Vehicle Graffiti, Set Design, Murals, & Video Production. From logos to one off pieces, through to entire video creations. Looking at her Instagram tells me she loves skateboards and doesn’t paint murals all that often.
Inzi One, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Carp and other fish can have a tangible calming effect if you stop and watch them for long enough, and Inzi One has captured that tranquility perfectly in this piece and added in some nice lilypads and flowers to boot. A fine contribution to Upfest, tucked away on the long Greenway Bush Lane hoarding.
Cheo, Greenway Bush Lane, Upfest 2026, Bristol, May 2026
This is the second wall painted by Cheo at Upfest this year, and I suspect probably slightly less official than his piece in Stillhouse Lane. I imagine that this was a vacant spot that was offered to Cheo by the Upfest organisers, knowing that he is local and one unlikely to offer up an opportunity. Cheo is much loved in Bristol and his work recognised by many, such is his presence in the city.
Cheo, Greenway Bush Lane, Upfest 2026, Bristol, May 2026
This aquatic romp is both imaginative and fun, featuring a couple of hapless pirate octopi who appear to have survived the sinking of their ship only to be grabbed by a rather angry looking fish with a bomb on his head. A scene that is so vivid and yet so cartoonish and unlikely as to be absurd, but here we are admiring it. Cheo has an extraordinary talent, and that he chooses to share it with us is a blessing indeed.
Zmaja, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Wow, how can work like this be created using spray cans? The richness and depth of colours and the brilliant use of shades to create a three-dimensional scene is incredible. The artist Zmaja is a Canadian-Serbian muralist and illustrator known for her cartoon-ish 3D animals, community-focused street art.
Zmaja, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
In this tea party scene, a fox and a rabbit are sharing a brew and a cookie and are accompanied by a couple of little yellow birds assisting with the sugar. A wonderful scene and story unfolds, but I can’t help feeling that there might be a sinister motive in the back of the fox’s mind, which once thought about, can’t be unthought. A superb Upfest piece.
This is an extraordinary dreamlike piece that is utterly captivating and perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Upfest. The piece is on a wall that is new to Upfest this year, at the back of Aldi, to be precise. Each segment of the wall offers artists a large canvass, and it has been one of the real highlights of this year’s festival. This piece by Vane MG is simply stunning.
Vane MG, Upfest 2026, Bristol, May 2026
Vane MG, a Colombian artist and designer based in London has created this figurative work in pinks, reds and blues that really catch the eye. A girl, wearing a helmet of some kind with a visor that distorts her face, is set against a blue sky and flowers and petals, that blend in with the subject. I’m not sure what Vane MG has in mind with the decorations on the helmet, but she has created two beautiful hearts and some encrusted gems. I think that thinking too hard about what it all means would be a mistake, and to enjoy it for its sumptuous colours and design would be my advice. A superb Upfest piece.
Minto, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Another Bristol artist to grace the Upfest stage this year is Minto, who somehow managed to get away with painting two pieces rather close together. Sometimes artists pull out at the last minute, and opportunists make the most of the blank space.
Minto, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
This first simple white on black piece shows what is possible, using only one colour with some great outlines and a bit of shading. I can’t imagine that it would have taken Minto more than a few minute to create this cartoon doodle, and it is very much an extra piece thrown into the mix.
Minto, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
His other piece only a few yards away is also a bit of a quick one, but more along the lines of what we see frequently in Bristol. The letters spell Minto, and the pig character has been nicely incorporated alongside them. If I am honest, I don’t think Minto put too much effort into these pieces, and probably turned up more for the crack than the artistry, because he has been smashing it with much more sophisticated and well-finished pieces than this recently.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
An unusual and rather grotesque piece by My Dog Sighs at this year’s Upfest, one of two very different offerings by the artist. I don’t think I have ever seen something similar to this by My Dog Sighs, and it is a departure from some of his staples, although the eye is very much a part of his repertoire.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
My Dog Sighs has managed to use the space perfectly to present his ugly and distorted monster face. The mouth is perfectly placed over the door, consuming all that enter here, and there are dropped eyes either side of it. The eye on the right is a window of the building, but looks like an integral and deliberate part of the character piece.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Stretched green skin with stitches and warts add to the overall creepiness of this character piece. The signature eye is what gives this away as an MDS piece, in which you can see a reflection of the viewer and a wall and tree behind. Such incredible detail everywhere you look. Utterly outstanding in every aspect.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
What a rare treat, not only to find a new piece by DNT for Upfest, but to be able to catch up with him and have a chat while he was painting this piece alongside Zake and DJ Perks.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Compared to when I first started this blog, ten plus years ago, DNT has slowed down his pace of work considerably, and spent some of the period abroad. I got the feeling that he really enjoyed painting this piece and getting back into the groove, and it was great to see that.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The piece returns to a space theme which he has always enjoyed, with a humanoid robot character and an alien robot, and in between them some curious space flowers, one with a large eye. There is a great story going on here, and it looks like a frame taken from a longer comic book kind of thing, leaving the viewer wondering what as going on and what will happen next. I hope DNT uses Upfest as a springboard to painting more often on the streets of Bristol, we have missed him.
Zebra Pozer, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The range of pieces at this year’s Upfest was notable from extreme high-end murals to regular Bristol graffiti writing and pretty much everything in between. This is a vibrant doodle-style piece by London-based Zebra Pozer.
Zebra Pozer, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The artist claims that he isn’t seeking perfection but bringing spontaneity and fun to his work, and I can completely buy in to that philosophy. Set on a pink background, the characters in this piece are crammed together and splashed with pinks, blues and yellows that breathe life into the black outline folk. Something a little different.
Cheba, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Cheba has been painting his cosmic pieces as long as I have been blogging, and probably considerably longer than that. This one at the back of Aldi, is a beauty and quite one of his best in my opinion.
Cheba, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Undaunted by a window and a couple of air vents, Chiba has created an incredible cosmic scene which lets our imaginations run wild. It is the reflection in the window that abruptly brings us back down to earth. An incredibly beautiful piece from Chiba.
