7291. M32 spot (208)

Neddy Ned Ned, Jest Soubriquet and Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025
Neddy Ned Ned, Jest Soubriquet and Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025

Ahh, a wonderful triptych of writing either side of a central character by messrs Ryder, Jest Soubriquet (LWT) and Neddy Ned Ned, respectively, in one of my favourite Bristol spots.

Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025

The writing on the left is by the wonderful Ryder, who doesn’t paint as much as he used to, but still manages to take a break from family responsibilities once in a while. Classic, tidy writing from him.

Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025

The portrait piece in the middle by Jest Soubriquet, who goes by the name Likeswantu, is a perfect foil for the two pieces of greyscale writing either side. The portrait may not be his best, but it works so well in this situation, and the eyes with drops are really effective.

Neddy Ned Ned, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025
Neddy Ned Ned, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2025

To the right, the letters WISKA reflect the colours of Ryder’s writing. Neddy Ned Ned is one of those artists who doesn’t seem to paint all that often, but who has a strong presence on the city. The letters are well presented and the 3D drop shadow looking cool in purple and white. The whole triptych is painted on a swirling cosmic background with a touch of green. A fine collaboration.

7002. Purdown (91)

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, June 2025
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, June 2025

The concrete slabs at Purdown can be quite challenging to say the least, the stand-alone edifices limit the scope and dimensions of the piece, and don’t lend themselves to writers. There is also the matter of a small herd of goats that tend to enjoy ‘scrambling’ around all the concrete structures. Jest Soubriquet (@likes_wan_tu) has absolutely made the most of this slab, showcasing his superb work.

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, June 2025
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, June 2025

Jest Soubriquet has absolutely smashed it with this colourful portrait piece, which really stands out as something special. It is great that dog-walkers, runners, families and so on, who enjoy Purdown, get to see great art like this for free, in an interesting context of WWII history, nature and street art. A supreme piece from the master of colour.

6933. St Werburghs tunnel (498)

Jest Soubiquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2025
Jest Soubiquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2025

Jest Soubriquet is an artist with several ‘noms de plume’ such as Jest Likes and Likes Wan Tu or Likes 12, which makes things horribly difficult for my tagging his pieces, which is why I stick with the first name I came across… it just makes things simpler for me.

Jest Soubiquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2025
Jest Soubiquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2025

This is another of his wonderful colourful patchwork portraits, and probably the best I have seen so far. The highly stylised portrait features a pouting woman whose face and hair are splashed with some delightful colours, and yet somehow appears to be completely normal – if that makes sense. I mean, nobody actually looks like that, but our brains compensate for the unusual colours and presents a normal portrait – clever things brains. Clever art from Jest Soubriquet.

6804. M32 Spot (199)

Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025

I am not entirely sure where Jest Soubriquet is based, but he comes to Bristol to paint often enough to make me think it is probably along the M4 corridor somewhere. This piece is painted on one of my favourite walls in Bristol under the M32 and features a wolf.

Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025

While I would say there are one or two things not quite right with the Wolf, I think it is a great representation and the colours and shading augment the animal really well. I am interested in the overall composition, which places the wolf in front of a brown and pink background, which might represent something, but I am not sure what. The words’Beware the dogs of war’ accompany the piece and perhaps put into some kind of context. Always great to find pieces by Jest Soubriquet.

6711. Frome Side (52)

Jest Soubirquet, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2025
Jest Soubirquet, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2025

When I see pieces like this one from Jest Soubriquet (@likes12_art), I wonder how incredible our brains are at normalising and making sense of a patchwork of colour (all the wrong colours) to build an image of a tiger. Our capacity to ‘fill in the blanks’ is awesome.

Jest Soubirquet, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2025
Jest Soubirquet, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2025

Equally awesome is Jest Soubriquet’s ability to paint a tiger portrait in a multitude of colours, and he has done a superb job in this challenging spot underneath the M32. I always find it interesting that artists come here to paint, because footfall is practically zero, and these pieces won’t be seen by many people. Perhaps this simply emphasises the point that many street artists paint for the pure joy of it.

6536. Purdown (81)

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, November 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, November 2024

This is something a little different from Jest Soubriquet up at Purdown. Obviously this was a Halloween piece featuring Frankenstein’s monster, accompanied by some creepy landscapes, including a church, crows and a pumpkin hanging from a tree.

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, November 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, November 2024

If this piece hadn’t been signed (Likes) I don’t think that I would have had a chance of identifying the artist as it is so different from his regular style. By chance, the telecommunications tower behind this wall looks a little bit like an extra bolt emerging from the monster’s head. A nice festival piece.

6482. Cumberland Basin

Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

Jest Soubriquet is an occasional visitor to Bristol, and his work is always welcome here. I have posted a couple of his portrait pieces on Natural Adventures this year, and this third one tucked away at the left-hand side of the long wall is a true beauty.

Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

The portrait, painted with his trademark patchwork of colours, is accompanied by a cosmic cloud scene with colours taken from, but presented differently to those used in the portrait. The three triangles unintentionally (I think) give the portrait a ‘Statue of Liberty’ look, which once seen is very difficult to unsee. This is a really refreshing approach to portrait pieces, and I hope we see more from Jest Soubriquet before too long.

5957. Purdown (70)

 

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, March 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, March 2024

When visiting artists come to Bristol, they will often paint more than one piece, and in the case of some, such as Logoe, they might paint several over a single weekend. I think that this is one of two pieces painted by Jest Soubriquet earlier this year.

Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, March 2024
Jest Soubriquet, Purdown, Bristol, March 2024

The portrait piece is set on a Palestinian flag, thus making it a relevant contemporary addition to the complicated and troubled commentary on the conflict between the Israeli government and Hamas. The portrait is cleverly painted in a patchwork of colours that shouldn’t really work, but somehow do. This is a wonderful and highly distinctive piece from an artist who will always be welcome in Bristol.

5899. St Werburghs tunnel (414)

Jest Soubriquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Jest Soubriquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

I am not sure whether this wonderful portrait piece by Jest Soubriquet was painted as part of Ryder’s RAW paint jam, or was simply painted at the same time (update – it was painted as part of the paint jam). Either way, it brightened up my day, because it is always a bit of a thrill to see new or visiting artists enjoying their passion in Bristol.

Jest Soubriquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Jest Soubriquet, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

By the look of it Jest dropped a couple of pieces in Bristol while visiting, but I have struggled to find out where he is based. The portrait piece in the tunnel is beautifully painted and unusual in its incorporation of striking colours, which, whilst disruptive, somehow manage to carve out the features and depth in the face. Very clever stuff. It would be nice to think that Jest will return to Bristol and decorate a few more walls for us.