It has been great to see Kool Hand returning to the streets lately, hooking up with various friends to paint with them. I have a feeling that he might have been in London, or certainly out of Bristol, for a little while, but has been in Bristol over the winter and sprayed quite a few pieces of which this is one.
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2021
This misbehaving orangutan piece is part of a larger collaboration that I will return to at some point in the future. Kool Hand has taken his little character and made him a little bigger and animated him a little more than usual, which is great to see. I’m never too sure about street art with guns though, it somehow doesn’t sit well with me. Is this way too woke? Nice to see Kool Hand back I. Town.
Just lately there have been several new pieces by Kool Hand painted alongside Daz Cat, and I am guessing that he is back from London, at least for a little while. I am assuming that it is London where he has been because he has posted some pieces from there. These two have painted a lot together in the past, so it is great to see them teaming up once again.
Daz Cat and Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2021
This is a rather nice little wall on the entrance to one of the little tunnels on the M32 roundabout and the quick collaboration features a fairly typical Daz Cat cat alongside a bucket hat wearing leopard. Just another normal day in St Paul’s.
When I visit the M32 roundabout, I usually stop for a few moments and take a look at the River Frome as it escapes its culvert and meanders towards the city centre before entering another culvert. This is a magical stretch of river and an oasis for wildlife slap bang alongside the M32 motorway. It was while I was photographing this new piece from Kool Hand that I spotted a kingfisher darting out of the tunnel and along the course of the river. It made my day… actually it made my week.
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
In a way I have Kool Hand to thank for this brush with nature, because If I hadn’t been photographing this piece at exactly the right time, I would have missed the bird. This is a wonderful throw up from Kool Hand featuring his trademark orangutan face with a baseball cap. A good day.
It is coincidental, not planned, that I have followed up a Daz Cat piece with a Kool Hand piece, these two being great friends and frequent collaborators. The curved ends of the long concrete bridge support on the south side of the river are great for portrait pieces, and Kool Hand has used the space well for one of his orangutan pieces.
Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
I have seen one of his like this before, where the orangutan is balancing on its hand, in a way that only these large apes can do. I don’t know what the fascination with orangutans is for Kool Hand, but I guess it is no different from Daz Cat mostly painting cats for example.
This is a really nice example of two artists who like to paint together switching things up a little. Kool Hand and Daz Cat have painted a lot together, but not so much over the last six months or so. When they collaborate, Daz Cat normally paints a character and Kool Hand provides the writing.
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol January 2021
In this recent piece in the tunnel, the leopard on the left is by Kool Hand and is superbly done, I think it might be one of his best characters yet and Daz Cat has thrown up the letters DKAT. It must be fun painting with friends and playing with styles and methods and it certainly keeps things interesting for the likes of me.
A gallery of street art containing quite a lot of orangutans and other animals from Bristol artist Kool Hand.
Instagram: @koolhand_briz
All photographs by Scooj
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2026Kool Hand, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2026Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2025Kool Hand, Purdown, Bristol, November 2025Kool Hand, Horfield Skate Park, Bristol, October 2025
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2025
Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2025
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2025
Kool Hand, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025Kool Hand, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2025Kool Hand, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025Kool Hand and Scrapyardspec, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2024Kool Hand, L Dub, Bristol, October 2024Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2024Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2024Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2024Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023Kool Hand, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023Kool Hand, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023Kool Hand, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
Kool Hand, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Kool Hand, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2022
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2022
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Ryder, T-Rex, Conrico and Kool hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2022
Kool Hand, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2022
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022
Kool Hand, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2022
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2021
Daz Cat and Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2021
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol January 2021
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2020CD.TC, Daz Cat and Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2020Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020Kool Hand, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2020Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2020Kool Hand, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol. June 2020Kool Hand, M32 Spot, Bristol, July 2018Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020Kool Hand, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2019Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Kool Hand and Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Kool Hand, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019Kool Hand, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018Kool Hand, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2018Kool Hand, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, May 2018Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
This rather sweet little collaboration first appeared a couple of weeks ago in mid-October and brings together the talents of CD-TC, Daz Cat and Kool Hand. I’m not too sure if these artists paint under a particular crew name, but they certainly seem to hang out together quite a lot.
CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2020
On the left is a rather stlised and weird-looking monster-faced character smoking a cigarette, with the white smoke wisping about the place. It is obvious that CD-TC is a talented artist/deigner from the way he has drawn and filled the arm of his character in orange, black and grey – some great shading and highlighting technique there. CD-TC’s characters are appearing more frequently about the place, which can only be a good thing.
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2020
In the middle is a wonderful scene painted by Daz Cat of a female (hurrah) cat playing an old gramophone record player. She is winding the handle and the indication of motion is done really well – plenty of movement there. The cat is showing off some fine hair accessories that appear to be coming from her ear and add decorative interest to the piece.
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2020
The final part of he collaborative wall is a rather small Orangutan face wearing a cap that we have seen quite a lot of in recent months from Kool Hand. This is, I suppose, a king of mega-tag that Kool Hand is using to hone his skills, but a great framework that just rolls off the spraycan easily.
This is a rather nice collaboration from Kool Hand and Slakarts. I don’t think I have seen anything from the latter for a very long time, but I am truly glad to see something new from him. Kool Hand as you know has been pretty busy of late.
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
On the left is a familiar sight to regular readers of Natural Adventures, it is of course a capped orangutan, although this time the fills have developed from solid orange to a blended mix of colours, giving a rather nice textured effect.
Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
To the right is a very nice and long-overdue piece from Slakarts. His faces usually have a symmetry about them and this one certainly conforms to that. Great colours and lovely clean lines separating out the solid fills. This is a very nice piece indeed from Slakarts.
The coronavirus pandemic has provided inspiration for a great many street artists this year, whether characterising the virus itself as in this example from Kool Hand or reflecting the great work of the NHS and other key workers, the common enemy has got the creative juices flowing.
Kool Hand, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2020
This rather different piece from Kool Hand Depicts the nasty red virus coming under attack from numerous sharp objects and weapons, presumably in an attempt to kill it off. There is a message for all, ‘keep safe people’ which, following today’s news that new cases in the UK are increasing exponentially, is as relevant now as it was when it was written.
This is the third recent Kool Hand orangutan piece that I have seen and once again he is branching out into the use of patterned fills rather than the solid ones that have been such a central part of his past work.
Kool Hand, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2020
The character’s face has been filled with what looks like an army print camouflage effect, but is probably just a random green and white pattern. I am enjoying watching Kool Hand adding a layer of sophistication to his pieces.
