5285. M32 roundabout J3 (480)

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

It took me two visits to get a clean picture of this piece by Kid Krishna, because his bike was parked in front of it the first time (while he was painting an adjacent piece). What is interesting is that the light conditions were different on each occasion, which affects the colours in the images.

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Kid Krishna is smashing it everywhere he paints at the moment, and in a very short space of time has become a dominant force in the city. In this fascinating piece the writing, CRIE, is compressed into the central part of the work and is surrounded by fish designs, some realistic and some abstract. The piece demonstrates a strong artistic bent and creative mind. The explosion of ideas in his work is sometimes difficult to interpret, for example what is the man in the top hat, eating a sardine, all about? His work continues to surprise and delight… regularly.

5284. M32 roundabout J3 (479)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Tick-tock, regular as clockwork, Hypo keeps turning out new pieces, each of which is a welcome addition to his expanding and improving portfolio. I have definitely seen an improvement in his work in recent months, and although he has been around for a long time, I think he is reaching a new level.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Hypo continues to produce pieces with an element of symmetry to them, achieved through shapes and colour schemes. I have seen him use this kind of fill pattern in the past (Upfest 2017), producing what looks like a horizon on a landscape. Another great piece from Hypo.

Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

5273. M32 roundabout J3 (478)

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

This is another busy and eclectic piece from Kid Krishna. An explosion of sub-conscious and conscious thought pinned to a framework of graffiti letters spelling CRIE. Kid Krishna really is a unique artist and interesting character, utterly absorbed in his artwork and constantly challenging his own ideas.

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

I was lucky enough to meet Kid Krishna just as he was starting this piece, and it is fascinating to see that his starting point was the hand in the centre. The hand and the character hint that the artist might have had a classical art education – the proportions and perspective are expertly painted.

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

The busy nature of the piece suggests that Kid Krishna has a busy mind, and his work reminds me a bit of Tom Miller’s brain dumps. There is always so much t look at and to try to work out. Lots more to come from Kid Krishna.

5270. M32 roundabout J3 (477)

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

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
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.

5214. M32 roundabout J3 (476)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

‘Who duh fook is dat guy?’ asks Stivs whose portrait pieces are truly outstanding – who knew about this incredible versatility, when he was pretty much exclusively painting his calligraffiti pieces? This portrait piece has very quickly established itself as something of a classic and definitely stands out from the crowd.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

I didn’t have any idea who was featured in the piece, that was until Paul H posted this piece on social media and helped me out with identification. It is Conor McGregor – UFC champion, which explains why I didn’t know. Although I like to think of myself as having my finger on the pulse, I am not a wrestling/UFC/boxing fan, it simply isn’t in my nature to watch alpha males (or females) knocking seven shades of sh*t out of each other for our entertainment. Great portrait piece though.

5210. M32 roundabout J3 (475)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Unfortunately, this wonderful and unusual piece by Mudra, didn’t last too long before being dogged. I simply don’t get some people and their determination to spoil other people’s work. I know that there are no real rules, especially on illegal walls, but a little bit of respect is always a good thing, and the rule of thumb is that if you are going to go over a piece, you should cover the whole thing, and preferably with something of equal or superior quality.

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Mudra’s skull and patchwork of design elements give this piece something of a 1980s surreal look. I expect that there is quite a lot of symbolism in the piece, but I’m not too sure I can work it out. Mudra is one of Bristol’s busiest and most creative artists at the moment, and certainly seems to be enjoying himself this year.

5203. M32 roundabout (474)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Well, it has to be said that Hypo is absolutely smashing it at the moment. Not only is he painting more frequently than I can remember, but he is also raising his own personal bar with each new piece he creates, which I guess reinforces the idea that the more often you paint, the better you will get.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

This fiery piece, once again has an attractive symmetry to it, which the letters HYPO somehow allow him to achieve. The letters are beautifully crafted with loads of accessory features, such as arrows and bars. The colour transitions are beautifully done, and the whole thing is really rather beautiful. This is another great piece from Hypo this year.

5198. M32 roundabout J3 (473)

Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Kosc is always on fire, whether it is his graffiti writing or his character pieces, he never disappoints. This is another outstanding piece of writing painted in day glow orange tones, a colour that he favours, but one that fades if left out inn the elements for too long.

Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

The letters spell out Kosc and have his trademark ‘rivets’ in place at certain junctions in the lettering, making the whole thing look like a piece of metalwork. The transition of fill colours is exceptional, and the shading within each letter creates a fabulous 3D effect. I think that Kosc may have missed a bit of shading on the far left part of the letter ‘K’, a minor detail, but you can’t unsee it.

5194. M32 roundabout J3 (471)

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

In this piece, part of a recent paint jam on the St Paul’s side of the roundabout, we see Laic217 at his magnificent best. A rather evil looking skeleton is set on a fabulous backdrop of church windows in true horror film style, brandishing a gold medallion with the letter L for Laic.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

As with all his pieces, the folds of the fabric of the skeleton’s robe are beautifully painted and convey a texture that many artists struggle to portray. Light and shade play a large part in Laic217’s work, creating depth and perspective. This is an outstanding piece from the master of skeletons.

5190. M32 roundabout J3 (470)

Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Rusk is a lovely bloke, and although I have to remind him who I am pretty much every time I meet him, he always makes time for a chat. I was in the right place at the right time when he and several other artists were having a bit of a paint jam on the St Paul’s side of the M32 roundabout. This was one of a really classy gallery of pieces.

Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Rusk has painted a graffiti writing and character combination with a little slogan and probable theme of ‘born to die’. The writing is, as always, first class and as neat and tidy as you’ll ever see. The metallic feel is worked hard with combinations of white and grey and clever highlights and stars. Along the top of the piece, the grim reaper is calling out to bypassing pedestrians and cyclists… you’re next. Beautiful work from Rusk.