The Best Street Art from Upfest 2017 in Bristol

Upfest is undoubtedly the premier street art festival in Europe. It transforms whole sections of its home city of Bristol. Murals from some of the best street artists from around the world start popping up in the area around Bedminster.

Over the last weekend in July 2017 Upfest took over a massive number of locations across the south of the city. Centred around the area of Bedminster in particular North Street saw a lot of the action. Parks, pubs, a football stadium and even a churchyard was taken over by spray painting artists.

This was street art on a massive scale. Designed very much for the masses. This was about celebrating street art and artists. Bringing them to the attention of a public who might never have seen their work. Yet who, judging by the crowds, were undoubtedly loving what they saw.

Cheo painting during Upfest in 2017 — Bristol graffiti legend Cheo adding the final touches to his mural (see number 9)

Street Art in Bristol

Of course if any city is going to pull off something of this size and scale then Bristol is it. The city is widely credited as being the birthplace of the street art and graffiti scene in the UK. Wander around any part of the city and it’s more than likely that you’ll come across one piece or another. The south of the city showcases some of the best street art in the country. Much of it can be seen all year round.

There’s plenty more we can say about Upfest 2017. Really though it’s the art that does the talking. In this latest of events the show boasted more venues and artists than ever before. We spent two full days wandering around. Even then here’s no way that we could have seen everything. We can be sure that we saw a pretty good proportion though.

Caro Pepe interviewed during Upfest in 2017 — Argentina’s Caro Pepe was painting in the Tobacco Factory. Take a look at number 19 for her finished piece.

Upfest 2017

This time the weather also made its mark on the event. Many of the artists found themselves having to stop and start. Periods of glorious weather were followed by intense periods of heavy showers. For the artists painting some of the big walls with little shelter. This undoubtedly played a part in some of the pieces being delayed. Some of the shots in our gallery below are still unfinished as a result. Whilst others are covered in scaffolding.

But that is what it is and we’ve chosen our top 20. It was a hard choice as the standard of this Upfest 2017 festival is incredibly high.

Top 20 Artworks from Upfest 2017

1. Kobra – The Tobacco Factory, North Street

Kobra painting his mural on the Tobacco Factory for Upfest 2017 — Close up of work from Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra. Kobra is known for his colourful portraits of recognisable people such as this of John Lennon. His work can be seen in cities around the World and now can be seen on the side of the Tobacco Factory on North Street

2. Nomad Clan – The Old Bookshop, North Street

Nomad Clan mural in development during Upfest 2017 — A old man looks at an Octopus by the Nomad Clan on the side of the Old Book Shop on North Street. This is just another in a series of high quality and epic murals from the duo. Most recently they painted the UK’s tallest mural in Leeds. Sadly the scaffolding was still up when we photographed this but still…

3. Fanakapan & Insane57 – 239 West Street

Fanakapan and Insane57 — An unfinished shot of the giant wall from the UK’s Fanakapan and Greece’s Insane 57. The rain was playing havoc throughout the weekend with the artists chances of finishing this work. Despite the unfinished nature we can see enough to see that this is going to be an impressive piece. It depicts the artist Insane57 sipping from a spray can whilst holding and inflatable flamingo…. because that’s the way these guys roll

4. Jody Artist – The Nursery

Jody mural at Upfest in 2017 — Mural from Jody painted as part of the Upfest 2017 festival

5. Eelus – Royston Garden News, North Street

Eelus mural for Upfest 2017 — Queen of the Castle by Brighton based artist Eelus. This mural can be found on a tricky to photograph wall in an alley next to Royston Garden News.

6. Buff Monster – Salvation Army Shop, East Street

Buff Monster mural in Bristol for Upfest 2017 — American artist Buff Monster is well known for his cartoon monsters and his style is hugely popular globally. This piece can be found on the wall of the Salvation Army Shop on East Street

7. Hannah Adamaszek & Saroj – The Steam Crane, North Street

Hannah and Saroj — A collaboration between London based artists Hannah Adamaszek and Saroj. The woman swimming is by Hannah and the fish from Saroj. The two have collaborated a number of times with this piece in the courtyard of the Steam Crane pub off North Street being the latest.

8. N4T4 & Philith – Al’s Tikka Grill, Ashton Road

N4T4 and Philith collaboration on a wall at Upfest in 2017 — A collaboration between N4T4 and Philith this piece can be seen on the side of Al’s Tikka Grill on Ashton Road.

9. Cheo – Brewery Theatre, North Street

10. My Dog Sighs & SNUB – Lilit, North Street

My Dog Sighs & SNUB collaboration at a wall at Upfest in 2017 — Both Brighton based artists this piece on the side of Lilit on North Street is a collaboration between My Dog Sighs and SNUB in a blend of both their very recognisable styles. My Dog Sighs is known for his eyes and water droplets and SNUB for the cube patterns shown on the mural

11. Dekor & Zase – Redpoint Climbing Centre, Winterstoke Road

Dekor and Zase — The Redpoint Climbing Centre has become known for it’s huge murals and this collaboration between graffiti legends Zase and Dekor is just the latest.

12. Dzia – Redpoint Climbing Centre, Winterstoke Road

Dzia mural on the Redpoint Climbing Centre for Upfest 2017 — Another on the Redpoint Climbing Centre captures this squirrel munching on love hearts from Belgian artist Dzia.

13. Xenx & Will Barras – The Masonic, North Street

Another huge mural this time on the side of the Masonic pub on North street sees a collaboration between Bristol locals Xenz and Will Barras blending their styles to create this epic fantasy landscape

14. Rocket 01 – Brewery Theatre, North Street

rocket 01 2 — On the side of the Brewery Theatre a badger nuzzles a woman wearing a helmet. From Sheffield the artist says of his work “I have visions of a post-apocalyptic world where mankind has finally embraced nature and immersed himself within it. He swims with the fishes, he flies with the birds, chlorophyll runs through his veins and his eyes photosynthesize.”

15. Guy Denning & Yatiko Fields – The Tap & Barrel

Guy Denning and Yatiko Fields — A collaboration between Guy Denning, a Bristolian now living in France and Yatika Fields a native american street artist from the states. The piece depicts Tara Houska a campaigner for Native American rights. The face is by Denning with the background predominantly by Fields

16. JXC – The Hen & Chicken, North Street

JXC Designs 2 — ‘Gonna Need a Bigger Boat’ from Bristol’s JXC can be found on the side of the Hen & Chicken pub on North Street. In a style which finds influence in photorealism and tattooing the mural depicts a giant sea creature with all sorts of other things going on. As usual with JXC’s work you really need to see this one up close

17. Andrew Burns Colwill – The Coopers Arms, Ashton Road

18. Boe & Irony – 302 North Street

Irony Upfest 2017 — Cheeky seagull mural painted by Boe & Irony as part of the Upfest 2017 festival

19. Caro Pepe & Age Age – The Tobacco Factory, North Street

Caro Pepe and Age Age — Inside the courtyard of the Tobacco Factory Argentina’s Caro Pepe and Germany’s Age Age collaborated on this fusion of their two styles. Caro’s style is recognisable in particular for the lack of an eye in her central character which symbolises proportionality and is meant to show how we only ever see one part of reality and how each of us have our own emotions and truths, that we own, but which are still not the whole picture

20. Mon Devane – Ashton Gate Football Stadium, Ashton Road

Upfest was visited over the weekend of 28 & 29 July 2017 and all photographs were taken over that period. For more about Upfest click here and for more about the street art scene in Bristol click here. To see pictures from the 2018 festival have a look here and here.