In Bristol we are spoilt and have become accustomed to seeing extraordinary wildstyle graffiti writing from Hemper on a regular basis. This wonderful organic piece is simply the latest in an outstanding series from the talented artist.
Hemper, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2024
The letters spell out HEMS and have remarkable depth to them created through both incredible design and technique using light and shade. The whole thing almost looks like a metal plate or buckle slapped onto the wall. Subtle colours, shiny light and a cool drippy border all contribute to the overall 3D effect. What a beauty.
Regular visitors to Natural Adventures might have noticed that I am posting three street art pieces a day more frequently than I used to, as if I were a man in a hurry. The truth is, I am. The sheer intake of new artists in the city, and the large number of established ones, means that there has never been such a high turnover of art in Bristol before, and I have never had more wonderful pieces to share. An added complication is that we are in the midst of the Upfest 2024 paint festival, and there is a huge influx of international artists whose pieces I’d like to share. This is a great first-world problem for me to have, but also means I have to post more often, and leave more pieces languishing in my archives.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024
This outstanding piece is from one of the best graffiti writers around, Hemper, and quite frankly is pretty much perfect in every way. Spelling out HEMS, the multicoloured fills are utterly sensational, blending and bleeding through the piece with consummate ease. Hemper is a master of his craft, and I can only stand back and admire the rich depth of this masterpiece.
I think I have COVID. I am not well at all and not really in the mood for writing blog posts, but I have a rhythm, and don’t like to interrupt it. It is amazing just how much COVID has disrupted our lives, not only with the illness and suffering it brought with it, but the battles between sectors of society around anti-vax and conspiracy theories about big pharma etc. The pandemic appears only to have divided us, or at least influencers and politicians have jumped onto the back of ‘wedge’ issues with glee to suit their own agendas. Surely the focus should be on mourning the dead, caring for the sick and creating a better more functional society.
It almost feels like a dream, when lockdowns were in place, and we all wore face masks, what a crazy period in our history. One of the upsides to the pandemic and lockdown is that some street artists, made good use of their out of work time to paint and paint, and one of those was Hemper. Since things have returned to normal, Hemper’s productivity has dropped and we only see occasional pieces from him these days.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
This is one of those rare pieces and what an absolute banger it is too. The joyfully colourful letters spell out Hems, but are very well disguised. Hemper has painted a beauty with extraordinary blended fills, some of which bleed beyond the borders of the letters. The whole thing feels very organic, almost alive. Simply put, this is an outstanding piece of wildstyle writing from one of the very best in Bristol.
Since the weather improved, which has been about a four-week spell now, this wall has been hit pretty hard with a high turnover of graffiti art, so you have to be on your toes if you want to see it all. Although I have missed several recent pieces here, I was lucky enough to see this absolute beauty by Hemper.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
This piece of graffiti writing is indescribably good. Incredible colours, an outstanding 3D effect and stunning design combine to make this one of the best pieces I have seen this year. The letters HEMS are blasting out of the wall from a central vanishing point and smacking you around the face, forcing you to pay attention. One of the best from one of the best.
Always incredible, always on point, Hemper manages to turn out extraordinary pieces every time he paints, without fail. Hemper is one of the best graffiti writers in Bristol, and quite probably in the country right now, whose imaginative renditions of the letters HEMS are truly awesome.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
This piece on the roundabout has an organic feel to it and Hemper has created an extraordinary sense of depth, with clever use of borders and 3D drop shadows as well as white highlights, circles and shading in the letters. He has used a fabulous pastel colour palette, that while eye-catching, isn’t brash. This piece from Hemper is about as good as it gets.
There have been quite a few new Hemper pieces lately, but I have been slow to post them. I’m afraid, even the most talented artists are competing for my time to publish posts on Natural Adventures. Writing only two or three posts a day is very limiting, and in no way represents the daily activity of street artists and graffiti writers in Bristol.
Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
This is a gorgeous piece by Hemper in the tunnel, looking a little like soapy suds escaping from a washing machine or a bubbly bath. Beautifully painted in shades of blue with white highlights, the letters spell HEMS, and the piece simply adds to Hemper’s extraordinary and vast repertoire. This is outstanding graffiti writing.
There was a period last year when we were spoilt with an avalanche of Hemper pieces, of course, keeping that level of productivity going was always going to be difficult, and the artist has now settled into a more occasional routine.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
This is a lovely piece, painted alongside Andy Council, from a couple of weeks back. This is wildstyle writing at its cryptic best. Letters made up of three dimensional slabs, which I must confess that I have difficulty reading. Hemper usually writes HEMS, but I can’t make it out here. This is a beautifully executed, highly complex piece that demonstrates just what an accomplished writer Hemper is.
Well, I figured it has been quite a while since I last posted a Hemper piece, so here is a reasonably new one for good measure. Of course, it is a beautifully crafted piece of graffiti writing, with great letter shapes and a cool colour palette.
Hemper, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
I don’t know where these writers get their inspiration from, but their unwavering high quality is just something else. In this piece Hemper spells out the letters HEMS, each letter with a different colour combination. A couple of arrows and stars finish off the piece nicely. I always look forward to finding these, there is something just a bit special about them.
Hemper is painting like a fiend at the moment. Hardly a day goes by without another new piece from him, and each one is a special gem. His range is exceptional and that he does it all off-the-cuff makes it all the more impressive.
Hemper, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
This recent piece of graffiti writing is in a beautifully curvy script with plenty of highlights and accents to create a nicely rounded 3D feel to the letters. The green fills are in several shades with a whole bunch of different patterns to enjoy. This is an artist who appears to be thoroughly enjoying his craft at the moment. Plenty more to come.
Here we have another absolute scorcher from the fantastically productive Hemper. This artist’s trademark is his extraordinary creativity; how many different ways can he present the letters HEMS? Combined with his enormous skill and talent.
Hemper, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
In this piece, Hemper has created a snakes and ladders board decked out in the garish colour squares that are so familiar to many of us from our childhoods. What an amazing thing to be able to do from a few old tins of spray paint. This is a magnificent, bright, happy piece. Thank you Hemper.
“Work to live, don’t live to work” – can’t argue with that.
