4855. Porto (13)

 

Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

This piece, by Costah, was photographed in early June and is clearly in support of Ukraine. The shock waves of Putin’s aggressive war against Ukraine since then have contributed to human suffering far beyond the borders of the two countries. There is little that citizens of Europe can do apart from offering help and hope.

Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Costah has placed a pair of his characters in a solemn embrace in the centre of a Ukrainian flag and the word HOPE. In an act of solidarity for the oppressed, he has also listed Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq along the foot of the piece. Pieces like this remind us about the bigger picture and take us away from our first world problems, at least for a moment.

 

 

3856. Purdown HAA Battery (31)

There is always something joyous about the work of Antikki, good karma perhaps, and this piece definitely has the feel-good factor about it. The poise of the two figures and the relationship between them is full of kindness and hope. Another feature of her work is the connection with nature, which comes across with the plants weaving in and out of the figures.

Antikki, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2021
Antikki, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2021

Antikki appears to like painting these concrete slabs up at Purdown, but the risk up there is that it is easy pickings for taggers who also seem to like this spot, at least the tags on this one haven’t affected it too much. I always get fired up by the optimism and goodness in Antikki’s work. Hoping for more before too long.

3207. John Street (2)

A welcome return to John Street and the second of the special pieces in the ten archways on the side of a building undergoing redevelopment. This archway has been beautifully painted by 3Dom and is a direct reference to the Covid-19 pandemic.

3Dom, John Street, Bristol, September 2020
3Dom, John Street, Bristol, September 2020

As social commentators, many street artists have found the coronavirus pandemic to be a rich source of inspiration and 3Dom has created this powerful piece. This clever work feels rather threatening with CCTV cameras and a whole host of intimidating shapes and references in red surrounding the blue light of humanity – I suppose the blue light is a symbol of hope. It will passs. A nice shout out to Hazard too.