Tag: Zake

2523. M32 Spot (50)

I may have said this before, but Zake really ‘owns’ these columns at the southern end of the M32 spot, and over time the pieces have grown in sophistication. This most recent piece is rather more elaborate and detailed than some of his work and is a great measure of his development.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2019
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2019

There would appear to be a bit of a story happening – it is difficult to determine the gender of the central character, and with the prayer pose and barbed wire in the hair, this could easily be a representation of Jesus. It could equally be a female character praying for something. It would be good to know what thestory is, but not knowing does not detract from the quality of the piece.

2504. St Mark’s Avenue (3)

In my favourite recently discovered spot, St Mark’s Avenue in Easton, is this great collaboration between Soap and Zake which I had seen previously on Instagram, but never knew where it was. Well now I know.

Zake, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, September 2019
Zake, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019

On the left is a portrait by Zake that unusually for this alleyway has been altered by some idiot, goofing the eyes and the lips This is a real shame because it gives the character a completely different and rather sinister ‘personality’ than that of the original. Even though it has been altered, I felt it worth including, partly to demonstrate that not everything I get to see is in its perfect pristine state and also to explain why I try to get out regularly to find new pieces before they have been tagged or ruined.

Soap, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, September 2019
Soap, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019

On the right is some colourful and uplifting writing fro Soap. The photograph is a little bit rubbish, partly because of the rather unhelpful wheelie bin and also because of the width of the lane at this point is quite tight and ‘front on’ pictures are an impossibility without a wide angle lens. Unlike much of the work in this lane it is relatively recent and was painted this year. As an aside, the tag on the bin is one that can be found pretty much everywhere in Bristol – I don’t know the tagger’s name, but it is probably concealed somewhere within the tag.

2368. M32 Spot (45)

Zake pretty much owns these columns under the M32, and what is amazing is that so many of them are still there after more than a year – a tribute to his work perhaps. In this piece, one head is being consumed by another which looks devilish/vampire-like.

Zake, M32 spot, Bristol, July 2019
Zake, M32 spot, Bristol, July 2019

I do like Zake’s work very much, especially the faces created out of three or four tones of paint, however this one misses the mark ever so slightly for me, there is something not quite right about the teeth in the top head that I find distracting. I think I am being a little picky because this is a good piece, but just not one of his best. Looking forward to more from Zake.

2336. M32 Spot (44)

It has been a little while since I last saw a piece by Zake, and this little gem is exactly what we’ve seen from him before except for one thing… hair. He really has nailed the format of these column pieces and this one is rather special.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, July 2019
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, July 2019

I have looked at it a lot, and can see it in two forms. One as a woman with voluminous black hair, and the other as a woman with a hijab. Both are beautiful. It is great to see the artist return to the spot where I first became aware of him.

2127. M32 roundabout J3 (135)

From a couple of weeks ago, this is a fine piece from Zake, whose work has definitely come out into the open after a gestation period in the partial light of the columns at the M32 Spot. I often wonder what his characters would look like with the pupils of their eyes drawn in, their absence gives them a somewhat aloof aura, deliberate of course.

Zake, M32 roundabout, March 2019
Zake, M32 roundabout, March 2019

The happy face, I suspect is about to get a whole load happier judging from the pill on his tongue. I know little of such matters so have to make assumptions. I am really enjoying the evolution and exposure of Zake’s work.

2056. St Werburghs tunnel (63)

Zake is an artist who is really coming out of the shadows and making a bit of a name for himself. I first became aware of him last Summer but I don’t know if that was because he was reasonably new to the Bristol scene or whether I just hadn’t spotted any of his work before.

Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019

This piece is a little bit different and has some similarities with artwork by Laic217…which can only be a good thing. A skull leaving its host through the mouth is surely an odd concept, but one which allows Zake to experiment beyond his faces. Skulls are difficult to get right, but this is not too bad at all. I love it that Zake is more mobile and seems to have teamed up with some of the PWA artists and friends. A lovely surprise piece in the tunnel.

2025. Lawrence Hill roundabout (1)

I love visiting new spots, and although I have known about Lawrence Hill roundabout for a little while, I just haven’t managed to visit until recently. Actually I took the dog for a walk there, killing two birds with one stone.

Zake, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, February 2019
Zake, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, February 2019

There is a lot of graffiti in each of the tunnels, but of really variable quality. It also looks like turnover is pretty low as some of the pieces looked rather old and tatty. Not this wonderful piece by Zake though. I am more used to seeing his faces on the columns under the M32, so it is great to see something that doesn’t have a width restriction. Three brilliantly expressive faces in differing aspects. Lovely work.

1998. M32 Spot (37)

Well I think we all know where Zake’s favourite place to spray his work is. I think all but one of my posts have described his work on these columns under the M32 leading into Bristol. This one is recent, and he has signed it much more boldly, unlike some of his earlier pieces which were difficult to identify. Maybe he is becoming more confident in his statements now.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019

There is something a little ghoulish in his characters, but particularly in these two, with the white of their eyes prominent and the slightly strange idea of one of them spewing out of the mouth of the other. He seems to use the column space really well, which is a skill in itself. I only wish that I could find a good time of day to come and take pictures. I expect it would be best at night with a flash, because the bright light during the day plays havoc with the camera’s automatic settings.

1859. St Werburghs tunnel (52)

Deep in the heart of St Werburghs tunnel, and painted in insipid colours to match the poor and rather orange lighting, is this magnificent piece by Zake. I have only recently tracked him down on Instagram, and he doesn’t give away much, so for the time being I can’t shed much light on the piece nor the artist.

Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018

I have only seen his column pieces under the M32 to date, so this was a real treat of a find. The piece as a whole is mildly disturbing, probably in part because of the lack of pupils in the eyes and the centipedes framing the faces, let alone what is coming out of their mouths. This is such an original piece and one that really works for me, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

1748. M32 Spot (27)

I have been prompted to publish these wonderful cartoon faces by Zake from my archive because I am aware that he has done some more recently. I was hoping that I could find out a little bit more about the artist in the meantime, but all my searches have been fruitless.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018

Zake’s faces are wonderfully expressive and in terms of their size and format seem to work very well within the rather tight constraints of the columns under the M32.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018

Another characteristic of Zake’s work is the selection of brown colours for the faces, which seems to provide a good contrasting base for the features. I love this man with the pens in his shirt pocket. These are great small pieces, and it would be good to see where Zake takes this work.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018