Shutters street art murals Bristol

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I might have mentioned before that there were a lot of shutter pieces at this year’s Upfest and this mysterious piece is by French artist Kaldea Nakajima. I don’t know too much about her or her work, but have found her creative website that hosts some of her work.

I rather like this female portrait with octopus-like tentacles for hair, and a wonderful halo signifying what I’m not quite sure. The lips are very Japanese, and I wonder if there is some influence there, judging from her surname. Altiogether an unusual and calming piece

I met Falko One in East Street on the Sunday of Upfest. It was early in the morning and showers were threatening. He had already started on the first of three commissioned elephants he was planning to complete in the day, but was doubtful because of the rain. This is a man who likes to paint elephants, and he does it really well

Falko One it turns out is one of the most well known street artists in South Africa and has been working for almost thirty years inspiring others and growing the graffiti culture there. He is best known for his elephants.

Sideshow Bob

It comes as absolutely no surprise at all to see Nol entering into the spirit of the theme for this year’s Upfest with a wonderful Simpsons piece depicting Sideshow Bob with a touch of Nol monsterising. Brilliant.

Nol managed to keep himself busy at the festival, with this being one of three pieces I know about. His work is always bright and colourful and so full of humour and joy. In a troubled world it is great to be able to walk past something like this and cheer…it is not all bad.

Weekends, early mornings and evenings reveal a whole extra opportunity for viewing street art, with the expanse of shop front shutters on view. In North Street, Bedminster, probably about a third of all the pieces on view are on shutters, and if you aren’t there at the right time they are pieces you simply will not see.

This fine shutter piece from Taboo is the second I have posted recently and is only a stone’s throw from his first. Taboos unconventional writing style presents an unusual TABOO, with a distorted Mickey Mouse face making up the first ‘O’. This is classic taboo and so good to see. I like his work and his style which is a shift from more conventional works we are used to seeing, and keeps things fresh.

I have said it many times, but it is worth repeating, that one of the additional benefits of Upfest is that artists often leave a little bit extra, over and above their ‘official’ pieces. This shutter piece is a ‘quick one’ by Irony that he painted before leaving Bristol. How privileged we are.

This piece is so good, and leaves us guessing so much about the woman in the portrait. We are teased by Irony, and it is what we can’t see that is as important as what we can see. I have spoken repeatedly on Natural Adventures about the talent of Irony, and this piece reinforces his status as a world class street artist. A magnificent portrait piece.

Kin Dose, North Street, Bristol, May 2020

 

Epod 3000 – Redpoint Climbing Centre, Winterstoke Road

Epod 3000 – Redpoint Climbing Centre, Winterstoke Road

Always a fantastic location to paint with some of the biggest walls in the area. Epod painted last year as part of the 75 walls project and this year went over Zabou’s portrait of Slim Safont. now back for Upfest 2022 he has created a giant artwork featuring two metallic dancers. Referencing the style of the piece Epod said “go big or go chrome

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graffiti street art Bowls Club, Greville Smyth Park Bristol

graffiti street art Bowls Club, Greville Smyth Park Bristol

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Dutch artist Nol has two little pieces on the bowls club. Part of a little Nol treasure hunt they have been popping up all over Bedminster

Combining a figurative style with vivid colours and shapes, MMG’s work plays with a kind of complexity or duopoly. It results she says from the “fascination of trying to capture the essence of something as complex as a human being”. The two central images for her piece at Upfest 2022 show fellow artist Nazarena Silva. Images which reveal some of the different parts of them as a person. The two central characters are also representative of MMG’s own personal exploration. Composing the two figures with different colours, it’s about “finding out who I am as an artist” she says. It’s a recent direction that she has been exploring within her recent work. To put that move on full display and to reveal that battle within

An artist from Brighton, Sprite is known for her paintings of the natural world. For Upfest on the side of the bowls club she has painted a sugar glider possum clambering down the wall

A portrait inspired from Jamel’s Arabic heritage. The portrait he says “represents my fascination in people and the human mind”. Saying that with his work he wants to try and “capture glimpses under the surface through the surreal images”. In the background Arabic writing behind the portrait reads ‘A True Friend will see the pain in your eyes while everyone else will only see the smile on your face

 Upfest regular Andrew Burns Colwill is one of Bristol’s original street artists from the 80’s. He is known for his political and environmental work. The man seen in the mural is a figure he comes back to in his paintings. He is representing the climate danger we find ourselves in. This time he is crouched on hot coals. The planet beneath his feet is burning up. The watch he carries has the time 2 minutes to 12. The time is almost up and he knows it

Sophi Odling street art mural Bristol

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Sophi Odling – KASK, North Street – Instagram

On the top of KASK on North Street Australian artist Sophi Odling has created one of her colourful and vivid dreamscapes. Her work reflects the environment and the culture of those she encounters. According to her website she travels the world “seeing the people, streets and way of life”. Her work “aims to encourage borderless thinking within our current global climate. Celebrate the acceptance of cultural diversity and focus on the beautiful innocence of youth

 

RTiiiKA street art mural Bristol

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Feeling free to dress and love the way you like. This is what RTiiKA’s pieces on the side of Sweven Coffee is all about. It shows some carefree characters just doing their thing