Tag: Zoe Power

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.

6423. Upfest 2024 (55)

Zoe Power, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024
Zoe Power, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024

At Upfest 2024, the format of the festival changed a bit, and I don’t think that it worked as well as it has in the past. I believe that the changes have come about by the enormous cost of hosting a festival over two days, and the rapidity of the clean-up afterwards have worn down the organisers. So this year we had feature walls which were painted over a three week period, allowing for a lot of high-end murals, and small 1m square boards – there was nothing in-between, which is the bread and butter for most street artists.

The 1m boards were painted on three occasions, and I managed to photograph them on one of those occasions, missing out on the other two. This was a board painted by the wonderful local artist Zoe Power.

Zoe Power, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024
Zoe Power, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024

The stylised painting is full of  symbolism, and a story of our time. It features a hand holding an olive branch, and rarely have we needed to see the olive branch extended more than now. There is a simplicity and crispness in the piece that betrays the complexity of the underlying messaging and what it represents. It is always a real treat to see Zoe Power’s work.

6073. Wilder Street (43)

Zoe Power, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2024
Zoe Power, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2024

This piece by Zoe Power would be equally at home in my street art posts or as part of the Thursday doors series (watch this space, because it will eventually appear in the latter). Zoe Power is a successful artist i Bristol, whose commissions can be found on walls all over the city. Her style is clear and simple and overtones of the Fauvist school of art which was known for its bold use of colours and expressive brushwork. Henri Matisse, I am convinced, is an inspiration behind some of Zoe Power’s work.

Zoe Power, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2024
Zoe Power, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2024

This door is an absolute beauty which blends colours and shapes seamlessly. There are plenty of recognisable icons and motifs, such as an eye, a pencil, a mouth, a heart and a plant all presented in an abstract format. The colour palette works well and the door is surely one of the prettiest in the area. A fine commission from Zoe Power.

5313. Upfest 2022 (71)

Zoe Power, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Zoe Power, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

As part of my commitment to posting pieces from Upfest 2022, I am interrupting my normal flow of Bristol street pieces with a sequence of ten artworks from last year’s Upfest, starting with this beautiful design piece from Zoe Power, an artist and muralist from the host city.

Zoe Power, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Zoe Power, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I would normally expect Zoe Power to be painting a wall rather than a board, because her work is rather sought after locally, but she did a wonderful job with this square space. Her design is beautiful and really easy on the eye, and she has used blues and pinks that are a tried and tested combination that work well at scale. I believe that Zoe Power is a new mum, and I haven’t seen much of her work on the streets lately, so digging this one out of the archive is a pleasurable experience.

4321. Greenbank (31)

This unusual piece from Zoe Power brings us back on topic with the most important issue of the moment, the dreadful invasion of Ukraine by the Russian dictator Putin. I am moved and humbled by the number of pieces that Bristol artists have painted supporting the Ukrainian people in their time of need – in the absence of being able to do much, showing support is a very good thing that we can all do.

Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022
Zoe Power, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022

Zoe Power has used the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag to paint a dove of peace and to offer some kind words, ‘Welcome Refugees’. This is a sentiment shared by a vast number of British people, but sadly not by a government who have been overtly hostile to any kind of refugees entering the UK since coming in to power twelve years ago. In this moment, a time when Europe is seeing its greatest refugee crisis since WWII, we are once again observing their true colours, playing to their xenophobic supporters who have kept them in power all this time. Shame on our government. They do not represent me. All power to Zoe Power for speaking from the heart with compassion and love.

3582. Stapleton Road

This is the second of four railway column pieces in Stapleton Road to be featured on Natural Adventures. Local artists were commissioned by Network Rail and Severnside Rail Partnership to smarten up the railway supports which had become rather untidy with a plethora of tags and posters. I am a little torn sometimes when this kind of commission comes along, because these spots can host some fine pieces of graffiti, but faced with the option of anti-graffiti painted columns or these gorgeous commissioned murals, I’d always opt for the latter.

Zoe Power and David Bain, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021
Zoe Power and David Bain, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021

This column is a joint effort from Zoe Power and David Bain and is a perfect place to showcase their work. Interestingly their other collaboration to have appeared on Natural Adventures is also a railway piece on Redland Station.

Zoe Power and David Bain, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021
Zoe Power and David Bain, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021

The trademark of these two artists is a highly stylised design and bright bold colours. I would label this piece as a true collaboration because they have stitched their work so closely together that it is difficult for me to be one hundred percent certain who painted what. The cheerful and skilfully painted mural is, along with its sisters, is sure to become a well known local landmark.

Zoe Power and Dave Bain, Redland Station, Bristol, November 2019
Zoe Power and Dave Bain, Redland Station, Bristol, November 2019

3530. St Werburghs tunnel (227)

Obviously I am thoroughly enjoying Zoe Power’s enhanced presence on the streets at the moment, with her recent collaboration with Mr Penfold, her work in progress under the railway bridge on Stapleton Road and of course, this lovely collaboration with Rtiiika in the tunnel.

Zoe Power and Rtiiika, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Zoe Power and Rtiiika, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

I had heard that she was keen to do more street work but was nonetheless surprised to stumble on this collaboration so soon. I have seen two or three Rtiiika pieces around Bristol, but this definitely raises her profile. Their styles are complementary and the bright colours work well. Zoe’s characters continue to remind me of Matisse and Rtiiika’s character also has a touch of modernism about it. I love this and want to see a whole lot more from these two.

3509. M32 roundabout J3 (284)

This surely is a collaboration made in heaven. When two artists combine, whose styles somehow mesh together so well, then the outcome is going to be rather special, and this is what happened recently in this fabulous collaboration from Mr Penfold and Zoe Power.

Mr Penfold and Zoe Power, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
Mr Penfold and Zoe Power, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021

I love this, because both artists have contributed to the whole and there are elements of their work evenly distributed throughout the piece. The colours too are a great combination of their individual preferences. I know that I could identify each of the artist’s contribution, but many looking at it would not. Some great ideas and a superb abstract piece. More, please Mr Penfold and Zoe Power!

3383. Martin Street

I can’t think of a better piece to post on Christmas Day than this beautiful mural from  Zoe Power tucked away in Bedminster. Sadly it is yet another prize wall that nearly always has a car parked outside and this is the best view of it I could get.

Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020
Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020

Zoe Power is known for her wonderful and bright colourful work which often has an element of symmetry about it. In this piece two characters are caught in an embrace where they almost fuse and become one, it is wonderful work and although simple on the outside, full of sophistication and class.

Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020
Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020

Whenever I see her work, I am always reminded of the great Matisse, and that is the biggest complement I can pay. Well worth seeking this out.

2598. Upfest 2018 (169)

Zoe Power has had quite an impact on Natural Adventures recently and this magnificent Upfest 2018 piece reinforces her strong portfolio. I like to call her work mural work as distinct from the broader term street art because although it is street art, it has an element of measure, control and finesse that sets it apart.

Zoe Power, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Zoe Power, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I didn’t actually find this long wall at the festival itself, but a few days later when I was patrolling the area loooking for hidden extras and gems and in this piece I certainly found one. Zoe Power’s bold work is striking and captivating and her solid fills keep her work clean and stylised. I know that one of her influences is the French artist Matisse, and you can really see it in her work.

Zoe Power, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Zoe Power, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This is quite a difficult wall to present in all its glory because of its length, so I have only posted a couple of key panels, but I think you get a sense of the whole thing. The mural, I assume, is entitled ‘Deeds not words’, so at this point I’ll put a sock in it.