This curious portrait piece from Zake is part of a PWA collaboration, but because of parked cars in Hepburn Road (formerly known as crack alley), I was unable to capture the whole collaboration. That kind of thing happens sometimes.
Zake, Hepburn Road, Bristol, May 2024
As I have said in previous posts, Zake seems to be pushing his boundaries all the time with his portraits, and although they all retain his clever use of light and shade to create depth, the characters and their expressions are constantly evolving. This rather dapper and shady fellow looks perfect for this dark narrow alleyway.
Abraham.O, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Wow! This is an utterly awesome portrait piece from El Salvadorian artist Abraham.O who is now based in London. He is well-known for his greyscale portrait pieces, and this is what I would describe as ‘high-end’ street art, the kind of thing that makes you gasp in amazement.
Abraham.O, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
I understand the piece is a portrait of his wife, and what a wonderful way to demonstrate your love and affection. In photographing street art every day, one gets used to ‘street furniture’ getting in the way f things, and the gate across the right-hand edge of this one is annoying, but no more than that, as the piece stands out irrespective. The flower petals with the faintest hint of blue is a wonderful touch.
Abraham.O, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Abraham.O, Dean Lane, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
At Upfest, artists often leave behind little ‘extras’ and I believe this one in Dean Lane skate Park is by Abraham.O. There is a nice little biography of the artist on the Upfest artist pages of their website.
From what I can gather, Daz Cat has been away for a little while travelling in Southeast Asia, and has recently returned to Bristol not only with some vigour but also with a newfound inspiration that is coming across very clearly in his new pieces, like this one in Cumberland Basin.
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
I can’t say I have really seen anything like this from Daz Cat before, it is like his work has taken a significant step change. There is more sophistication and depth to his character portrait, who appears to be a hybrid between a human and a cat. There are some great colours used in this piece, and the hair is just something else. Daz Cat has come a long way, and his journey is getting really interesting.
Mind 49, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, April 2024
Lawrence Hill roundabout is a spot that is a little off the beaten track, and most of the graffiti down there is average at best, with a lot of bombers and taggers getting in some practice. Decent pieces tend not to last too long in a pristine state, but having said that turnover is pretty slow. I was therefore privileged on a recent speculative visit to find this beauty from Mind 49.
Mind 49, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, April 2024
It has been wonderful to watch Mind 49’s development from a young artist at Upfest 17 when he was a youthful 16 year old painting under the name Mind Control. This piece follows the theme of concealed portraits that he has been painting in which parts of the face are obscured by hoods or glasses or other things and in this case by the fact that the subject is looking away. This style leaves more to the viewer’s imagination and is quite unusual in the street art world. This is a really wonderful piece tucked away from the more common spots.
Ah! Bravo! Bravo! What a magnificent and, if I am honest, slightly unexpected collaboration from Fade and Pekoe in the tunnel. Although the pair have painted together in the past, it still somehow feels like a surprise when they hook up to paint together.
Fade, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2024
I was going to write that this might not be the tightest of pieces, but the more I look at it the better it gets I’m my view. The sumptuous colour palette of gold and light purple ticks all the boxes and turns a good wall into a great one. Fade has kept the purple flashes to a subtle minimum, with just enough colour to complement the wonderful gold writing. Lifting the letters further is the beautifully clean white accent line along the upper edges of the letters. Brilliant.
Pekoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2024
I wasn’t too sure about Pekoe’s portrait on first glance, but I am sure now that it is absolutely on point. The lady is wearing a gold hoody that frames a beautifully expressive face and flowing hair. The woman’s face looks quizzically amused about something, and seems to be suspended in that moment before breaking into laughter, at least that is what I see, and that is the joy of art, we each take home what we see. I really love this collaboration and look forward to their next project together.
This container, behind the Watershed, is one of the more curious spots in Bristol. I am not sure who owns the container, nor do I understand quite why the council has given permission for it to be sited here, but here it is and fortunately for us, it has played host to a series of high-end commissions over the years. Inkie replaced the Paul Monsters piece that had been here before a little while back, but I have only recently photographed it.
Inkie, Anchor Road, Bristol, May 2024
There are several Inkie elements that have come together in perfect harmony in this combination piece. The print background runs through the whole piece and sets a regular patterned backdrop. Of course the distinctive writing in very Inkie colours is as good as you’ll see and to the right is one of his beautiful Art Nouveau style characters. The only board of the piece that leaves me scratching my head is the cartoon-style spray can, which doesn’t look like an Inkie piece at all and doesn’t quite fit with the rest of it.
Mind 49 and Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024
Regular readers may be experiencing ‘déjà vu’ on seeing this fine collaboration from Wxttsart and Mind 49, as they have overwritten and incorporated elements of their last collaboration on this exact spot, and the unobservant might have missed the ‘update’ altogether.
Mind 49 and Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024
The ‘old’ work is the purple and cream script by Wxttsart running through the middle of the piece which has a clever ‘ripped wallpaper’ look to it and has been augmented with fresh writing at the top and bottom of the piece that appears to spell out MYLK, (milk being Wxttsart’s moniker). The portrait, by Mind 49, is rather larger than its predecessor and beautifully executed. Mind 49 manages to paint informal portraits in a photorealistic style while retaining a softness about them, and this is a prime example. Both artists have combined (again) perfectly to create this striking collaboration piece.
Wxttsart and Mind 49, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2024
Some artists are content to stick with what they know and play safe, others are constantly pushing the boundaries, and Laic217 has undergone something of an epiphany recently, taking his distinctive style into new and unexpected places, and as an observer, I am enjoying the trip.
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2024
This outstanding portrait piece on the long hoarding at Greenbank features a man holding a miniature trumpet, all in greyscale except for the instrument. The piece is not signed, but there are some telltale signs that this is by Laic217, namely the unusual proportions of the character’s head, and more obviously the folds of material in his clothes, a speciality perfected by Laic217. This is a wonderful piece.
This is a special piece for me, because I was present while Tao Create was painting it (for a short while, at least) and met her for the first time. I have been wanting to meet her for a while to be able to tell her how much I admire her work and how much she has improved in recent months. I think that meeting the artists is the bit I love most about photographing their art, as it gives you glimpses of insight into their personality and sometimes their inspirations and ideas.
Tao Create, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024
This piece was painted to promote a Femme Fatale event on 6 April. Now, I am a little bit old and never been all that well-connected with the music scene since the 1980s, so I had to find out a little bit about what this was all about. This is what I came up with:
Femme Fatale Heartek MicroCabaRave
An event held at 395 on Saturday 6th April. Doors are at 17:00 with entertainment starting at 18:00. The event finishes at 01:00. The event has been tagged in the techno, jungle, dub, reggae and industrial categories.
I don’t much like posting promotional pieces, because I am a bit funny about that, it feels akin to advertising, but of course I make exceptions.
Tao Create, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024
Tao Create’s portrait is copied from an image, not of anyone in particular, to represent the Femme Fatale idea. Given that Tao Create hasn’t painted all that many pieces in the photorealistic style, this is absolutely remarkable. I very much hope to see more of her work during 2024 and beyond, she is a real talent.
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
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.
Natural adventures 