Palestine – Page 2 – Natural adventures

6971. Cumberland Basin

Kush, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2025

Although I see a little bit of his work around the place, this is only the third piece by Kush that I have posted on Natural Adventures. His selection of ‘fruit salad’ colours gives his writing an uplifting presence. The letters KUSH are nicely designed and uniform with nicely graded fills.

Some nice depth is achieved with his orange 3D drop shadow, but the piece is probably most notable for the message ‘Free Palestine’ which is a common theme in street art in Bristol. Kush has also filled his letters with loads of shout-outs, and a smaller message in case you didn’t get it first time, ‘stop arming Israel’. While the world disintegrates and wars dominate the headlines, these guys modestly protest and document the world around them.

All hell break out

What is worse than hell?

a petulant bully Trump

breaking the broken

by Scooj

6651. Braggs Lane

Billy, Braggs Lane, Bristol, December 2024

It is my birthday today. It is a busy day of packing, sightseeing and travelling. We are due to return to Bristol at around midnight, when our little break will sadly be over. Some great experiences and memories will remain with us and sustain us through the rest of the winter, I hope. I found this piece by Billy a little too late I fear, it would have been nice to have seen it without the tags.

Billy’s no nonsense simplicity and story-telling illustrative pieces are a real strength, and this piece shines through the tags with class. My guess, and it is a guess, is that this is a mural about peace in Palestine. The bird might be a dove, the semi-circular shapes might be watermelons, a motif of Palestine. Of course, it could be something else entirely. Whatever it is, there is a story in the illustration. Nice work from Billy.

6642. Sussex Street

Sepr and Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

This is a wonderful political commentary collaboration from Sepr and Andy Council, who are unhappy with the Government’s attitude towards the situation in Gaza. On the left Sepr has painted a passive protest piece featuring a dove sitting on an olive branch. It is both witty and poignant and is beautifully painted.

Sepr, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

To the right, Andy Council presents on of his ‘stitched together’ composition creature pieces, which this time is a snail, perhaps representing the slow speed of any progress on ending the Israeli occupation and systematic demolition of Gaza. The snail is painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag. Brilliant stuff from the duo.

Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

6295. Upfest 2024 (50)

Taqi Spateen, Upfest 2024, North Street, Bristol, June 2024

I think that this might be one of my favourite pieces from Upfest 2024. I have always been a big fan of trompe l’oeil work and love pieces that make use of, and incorporate, the space they are painted in. This pair of murals by Palestinian artist Taqi Spateen delivers in spadefuls on both counts.

Taqi Spateen, Upfest 2024, North Street, Bristol, May 2024

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to stop and chat with the artist when he was painting this piece, as I would have liked to have complimented him directly on creating such a charming scene in this little corner at the end of North Street.

The girl on the left-hand archway is stretching on her tiptoes to reach an unreasonably high door knocker, with a door lock above it, totally out of reach. The girl’s beautiful clothes are wonderfully painted, with all the folds and textures so well observed. The shadows cast by the wall and by the girl add to the illusion of depth.

The boy on the right has something of a stiffer challenge, attempting to scale his door on a rope, so that he can reach the four locks, using the bunch of keys hanging off his backpack. That we can’t see either of the children’s faces adds to the mystery.

The murals would appear to be some kind of metaphor about inaccessibility and hopelessness, but also about a determination in the face of adversity. My guess would be that the war in Gaza is very much behind the piece, although I might be reading too much into it. Whatever it is about, they are a truly magnificent pair of murals, worth a trip to Bedminster alone.

6003. Peterborough

Nyces, Peterborough, April 2024 (morning)

Last month I visited Peterborough for work, and because it is some distance away from Bristol, I stayed the night before the workshop I was leading, in a hotel. On the way to my lodgings, I took a meandering route (as I always do when visiting an unfamiliar town or city), and was rewarded with this unbelievable mural by Nyces (Nathan Murdoch).

It appears that Nyces is ‘the’ street artist in town, and although there are small pockets of graffiti writing in various places, Nyces ‘owns’ the walls of Peterborough. This outstanding piece is obviously a reflection of the horrific war in Gaza, with a child in combat gear sitting forlornly in a desert near a makeshift dwelling. A spray can sits amongst pebbles in the foreground, but the small bacon of hope comes from the snowdrop flower emitting some sparkles of light. This is a moving piece that has a calm about it, a sense of resignation – very powerful. It is superbly painted too.

I got really lucky on my way back to the station after my workshop. I had been told that there was an artist painting in the shopping centre opposite the station, and indeed it was Nyces who was painting a series of large murals to brighten the place up. Naturally I introduced myself and has great chat with him. Although he doesn’t leave Peterborough too often, he has visited Bristol once or twice in the past. One or two more pieces to come from Peterborough’s Nyces.

5976. Chatterton Square (8)

Acer One, Chatterton Square, Bristol, January 2024

I don’t get to visit this spot all that often, but in fairness neither do many artists, so what gets painted here tends to last a reasonably long time, and although I photographed this beauty by Acer One back in January this year, I think it had been painted some time before that.

The piece is obviously a protest statement about the war in Gaza and a powerful reminder of just how long innocent Palestinians have been suffering for since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. When I think about what is happening over there, my head bursts, and like so many people I simply want the suffering to stop.

The letters spell out BRISTOL 4 PEACE, speaking loudly and clearly to the people of Bristol. The letters are beautifully designed and cleverly concealed, and the incorporation of the colours of the Palestinian flag speaks for itself, really. A fine piece of commentary art from Acer One.

5957. Purdown (70)

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.

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.

5891. St Werburghs tunnel (412)

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

Although he doesn’t paint all that often these days, Rowdy is responsible for some of the most iconic street art in Bristol. His crude pieces, often featuring his trademark crocodile, have been a mainstay of the Bristol scene for decades. He painted this small piece during Ryder’s RAW paint jam a couple of weeks back.

In this piece, Rowdy has painted a masked cat character hovering above a vibrant nigh time urban scene. There is an energy to the piece and a hint of subversion which I like. Of course a vertical green crocodile is in attendance. Of course, as is common in many works in the city at the moment, it is accompanied with the words ‘Free Palestine’. It is always a pleasure to see anything by Rowdy.

5886. Coach and Horses

Merny, Coach and Horses, Bristol, March 2024

Another artist and another protest piece about the war in Gaza. This time, some direct talking from the wonderful Merny. A warplane, fully marked up with his trademark letter/number pointers, is accompanied with the words “Stop killing people you tucking fwats”. Hear hear!

Merny’s work is deceptive in so much as it looks naive in style, but there is a deep sophistication that underpins his artwork, which always tells a story, often with a light dusting of humour. The piece is attention-grabbing, and along with all the other anti-war work in the city is representative of a groundswell of opinion that wants piece in Gaza specifically, and in the Middle East more generally.

It looks like Merny took the opportunity, while he was in the area, to paste a couple of posters on a nearby wall, which again have a simple sophistication about them and a wordplay caption “Problems? Just smooth things over”. The picture is of a mechanical sander – a great bit of bonus material from Merny.

	scooj on Shards
	M. on 7397. Turbo Island
	M. on 7397. Turbo Island
	beth on Shards
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…

	scooj on Shards
	M. on 7397. Turbo Island
	M. on 7397. Turbo Island
	beth on Shards
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: