Tag: Palestine

7183. St Werburghs tunnel (525)

Jee See, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Jee See, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

Jee See doesn’t paint too much these days, but it is always great to find one of his SEISMIC pieces. This one from earlier this year in July was part of a Free Palestine paint jam, once again using street art as a place to comment on the issues of the day. This and other pieces offer a commentary and through this blog, I record them, archiving a little slice of our local and global history.

Jee See, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Jee See, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

Jee See has been writing his angled SEISMIC letters for as long as I have known him, which must be ten years or so. In this piece the letters are draped in the colours of the Palestinian flag. No further words are needed. We all know what is happening. We all know that the Israeli state is committing genocide. We just want it to stop and to bring peace to the region.

7151. Greenbank (170)

Rtiiika, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Rtiiika, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

This is another clear and unambiguous message painted at the Bristol Mural Collective’s Palestine protest paint jam held last month on the long hoarding at Greenbank. The piece is by Rtiiika, which, although unsigned, is so characteristic of her style.

Rtiiika, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Rtiiika, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

‘Gaza is starving’ – ‘Let aid in now’, two messages that have been persistently ignored by the Israeli Government. Every day brings new stories of the war crimes being committed by the Israeli Government, and still the international community does nothing to stop this. Trump is impotent and has been played by Netanyahu. Is it only me that sees the parallels between the Israeli state’s behaviour now and their justifications, and the behaviours and justifications of the Nazis during WWII? Surely the irony isn’t lost? One might have expected more compassion from a people who experienced some of the worst persecution in modern history. BTW, this does not make me an antisemite, just in case anyone was wondering, but it makes me very much opposed to the fascist elements of the Israeli Government.

Sorry, but I had to go there. Normal service will resume immediately.

7136. Greenbank (168)

Ailish, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Ailish, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

This piece is another belter from the recent Bristol Mural Collective paint jam, protesting for peace in Gaza and Palestine. Ailish has painted an abstract piece filled with doodles and symbols surrounding a central phrase ‘this is inhumane’, a sentiment that we all feel but are so powerless to do anything about.

Ailish, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Ailish, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

It almost feels trite talking about the artwork when the subject matter is so serious, but it is the artwork and the public nature of it that helps to convey the message and build on support for innocent Palestinians. The patterns and shapes are made up with the colours of the Palestinian flag, as is the centrepiece, creating an overall busy piece wit(a simple strong message. Great work from Ailish.

7127. Greenbank (166)

Amy McHugh, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Amy McHugh, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

Another powerful combination of imagery and words from the Bristol Mural Collective paint jam that was themed on Palestine. This particular piece by Amy McHugh is visually impactful using the image of a dove of peace carrying a flower, and shedding a tear.

Amy McHugh, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Amy McHugh, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

The colours, as with most of these paint jam pieces, pick up on the colours of the Palestinian flag, which are all represented. The words “None of us are free until we’re all free – Palestine” are interesting, especially their approximation to the Jewish poet Emma Lazarus who wrote in 1883, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” It is a sentiment I believe many of us can agree with, but I fear we might be in for a long wait.

This is a strong message of support for Palestine and the people of Gaza and the West Bank by Amy McHugh.

7123. Greenbank (165)

Werm, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2025
Werm, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2025

This is another contribution to the Bristol Mural Collective paint jam, protesting against the war in Palestine from a couple of weeks back, painted, quite obviously, by Werm.

Werm, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2025
Werm, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2025

Werm has used has symmetrical writing to great effect, incorporating three horizontal stripes of red, green and white to represent the Palestinian flag, with the tidy 3D drop shadows providing the black colour. While I wholeheartedly support such protests, I wonder how much they will change anything. It seems that while Trump is in power, the Israeli Government will act with impunity, knowing that Trump is only interested in some kind of business transaction outcome that will make him richer and adored. He cares nothing for people, for victims.

Thank you, Bristol Mural Collective, for organising this paint jam.

7118. Greenbank (164)

Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

Conrico has been knocking out some outstanding pieces this year, and continues on that journey with this belter, painted as part of the Bristol Mural Collective paint jam in support of the people of Palestine.

Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

This is a vibrant piece which mixes up Conrico’s themes. The wonderful landscape, and small house are inspired by Japanese culture, into which he has incorporated a Palestinian flag and a woman wearing a keffiyeh scarf. The dramatic sunset sky complements the piece perfectly.

7114. Greenbank (163)

Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

I have mentioned many times before on Natural Adventures how much I love the way street artists capture the moment or the mood of the city or country as a whole. In saying that, I would reflect that most, not all, street artists are aligned with progressive or left leaning sympathies. It is rare to see right-wing or fascist street art that evolves beyond slogan tags. This potent piece by Zoe Power is one of many painted during a paint jam organised by the Bristol Mural Collective up a Greenbank a couple of weeks ago.

Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025

Zoe Power has kept her message and artwork simple and unambiguous. The captivating piece features two faces looking at one another with tears, symbolising sadness and tragedy, painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag, with the words ‘Boycott Apartheid’ book ending the work. Who, in their right mind, could support the slaughter of innocent civilians on such a mass scale? Has the Israeli leadership learned nothing about attempted eradication of a people? Zoe Power and her collaborators are keeping the tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes out there and protesting through their art.

7109. Brunel Way (331)

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2025
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2025

The two most prominent conflicts (although there are countless others) of our time that have mobilised public attitudes in the UK are the Israeli occupation of Gaza and The West Bank, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both of which are barely out of the news at the moment. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee-in-waiting, Donald Trump has appeased the aggressors and most powerful forces in both conflicts and achieved absolutely no progress towards peace since he took office. Shame on him. Siding with bullies and looking for a favourable deal (for him and his cronies) is all he appears to care about.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2025
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2025

Meanwhile, protests continue and are powerfully expressed through graffiti art, which has a capability to commentate on the injustices of the world in a way that has a lasting impact. Mr Draws has done himself proud with this huge ‘Free Palestine’ piece in chrome, sitting on the red white and green colours of the Palestinian flag. I guess the black drop shadow makes up the black from the flag. (Note to self – prepare some protest galleries).

7063. Cumberland Basin

Nice One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2025
Nice One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2025

Although this piece is unsigned (which in itself is a clue), I have made the pretty safe assumption based on the letter font that it is by Nice One. The piece is a protest piece about the war in Gaza and says ‘Smash Elbit’. Elbit is an international military technology company and defence contractor based in Israel, and clearly central to the annihilation of Gaza and its people.

Nice One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2025
Nice One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2025

The bleak piece, which appears like a smashed window, is a reminder that we are all witnesses to a genocide that western democracies have failed to stop, and indeed appear to support. It cannot be that hard to get tough on the Israeli government, can it? Street art once again providing a running commentary of contemporary issues with impact.

7056. St Werburghs tunnel (516)

Mind 49, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Mind 49, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

Mind 49 has always been an activist, and although his art has mellowed in recent years, his principles are still very much intact. This anti-war piece is striking, poignant and beautifully presented.

Mind 49, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025
Mind 49, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2025

Skulls are a common motif/subject in street art and this is one of the very best examples I have ever seen. Mind 49 has captured the tones, shading and depth perfectly. Strangely, the helmet almost seems as though it is painted by a completely different artist. It is lacking in detail, the perspective is slightly out and the flags a bit untidy. I don’t know why this is, whether it is a deliberate device or that Mind 49 has absolutely cracked the skull and needs to work on helmets. It is a mystery.

The message to take home is clear. ‘Destroy the war machine’, which is directed at the UK, the USA and Israel. I could go into a long and thoughtful essay about the war in Palestine, and the impotence of voices that want an end to the killing and suffering. History will not look favourably on the genocide and the parallels with WWII concentration camps and justifications for extermination. Can’t people see the paradox? I’ll stop there. It upsets me too much.