A couple of weekends back we here at London Calling Blog had the absolute pleasure in visiting Bristol for Upfest 2017, our first time attending the event and an experience well worth the visit. Bristol is very much a place with a long and rich history of a thriving Graffiti and Street Art scene, most notably – though by no means exclusively – for producing the world’s most famous Street Artist, Banksy. So it is no surprise that Europe’s biggest Street Art and Graffiti event with some 300 artists participating takes place in such a city. It is amazing to see how Bristol has embraced such creative expression like nowhere else in the UK, this isn’t just noticeable by the sheer volume of works but also the places in which some of these works have gone up, on institutions and businesses that won’t tolerate such expression on their premises elsewhere, and we know with a few, as we have tried.
Upfest 2017 marked the ninth incarnation of the largest Street Art gathering in Europe and brought together some 300 or so artists drawing upon local talents as well as drawing in national and international artists from all around the world to paint walls, shutters and boards around Bedminster. Overwhelmed by the abundance of diverse artworks being produced and dotted quite literally everywhere around town it was certainly a sight like none we have seen with artworks being produced seemingly everywhere one stepped.
Despite the on and off heavy downpours that punctuated the weekends event, the artists were on fine form and it was certainly a pleasure to spend the working sighting familiar artists and friends from London way, a few international visitors, and a veritable host of artists from here, there and everywhere, we had the pleasure of discovering for the first time with this roster of global talent. Despite the sudden dramatic downpours and countless miles we walked over the three days we spent in Bristol, the event was every bit worth the visit, a fantastic weekend in good company and with more fantastic and diverse artwork than we could find.
Whilst the works created on boards in venues such as Ashton Gate, South Park and various pubs around the area are no longer available to be seen, there are still many many fantastic works and murals to be seen from the festival about town for the next year until Bedminsters receives a fresh makeover. We are certain there are many things we missed, such was the vastness of this brilliant event, however we also know we got to see a fair chunk of the festivities so without further ado here is a look back at London Calling Blog’s first visit to Upfest 2017.
Stepping into North Street at Saturday lunch time this was the first hint of the festivities awaiting our eyes.
What a treat with the first artwork we saw being produced for the festival was this knockout piece by Nomad Clan duo Aylo & CBloxx.
Xenxogram and Will Barras at work on the Masonic Pub along North Street.
JXC at work.
Wen2 at work.
Eelus at work.
Kobra at work on an excellent depiction of John Lennon, which certainly drew a crowd all weekend and was still being worked on through Monday.
Rocket01 at work.
Aspire at work.
N4T4 & Philth at work.
Mon Devane at work.
Title, Hannes Bizaarr & Worskerski at work.
Helen Bur at work.
Squirl at work.
SPZero76 at work.
Captain Kris at work.
The Real Dill at work.
Obit at work.
Tony Boy, Dahkoh & The Real Dill at work.
S12 at work.
DZIA at work.
DZIA at work – thanks man for letting us step into your office.
Fanakapan at work.
Buffmonster at work.
Hannah Adamaszek & Saroj at work.
Ebee at work.
Laura Schweiger & Size Two at work.
Wen2 at work.
Carleen De Sozer at work.
Woskerski at work.
Hannes Bizaarr at work.
Triptico at work.
Krishna Malla at work.
TAPE OVER at work.
Goopmasta at work.
Insane51 & Fanakapan at work.
Ant Carver at work.
Seapuppy at work.
Gage at work.
Ageage & Caro Pepe at work.
Jody taking a break from his stunning work to speak to the official Upfest tour led by John Nation.
The Finished Works:
Excellent use of the space with this work from Dekor & Zase on the Climbing Centre.
Work by Zase & Dekor.
Detail of work by Dekor.
Work by Zase.
Detail of work by Dekor.
Work by DZIA.
Detail of work by DZIA.
Showstopping work by Insane51 & Fanakapan, truly a highlight of an incredible array of fresh artworks around Bristol.
Detail of work by Insane51 & Fanakapan.
Work by GOIN, which has been censored by somebody by the time we caught up with the work over the weekend.
Work by Buff Monster.
Detail of work by Buff Monster.
Detail of work by Buff Monster.
Work by s12.
Work by Falko1.
Work by Voyder & 3Dom22.
Work by Voyder & 3Dom22.
Work by Yatica Fields & Guy Denning.
Detail of work by Yatica Fields & Guy Denning.
Work by Copy Right & Gemma Compton.
Detail of work by Copy Right & Gemma Compton.
Work by Hannah Adamaszek & Saroj.
Work by DZIA, with this little addition to Bristol left along with his feature wall.
Work by Inke.
Work by Snub23 & My Dog Sighs.
Detail of work by Snub23 & My Dog Sighs.
Detail of work by Snub23 & My Dog Sighs.
Paste-Up work by Annatomix.
Paste-Up work by Lost Hills.
‘I Stole Banksy’ by Chinagirl Tile.
Work by Cheo.
Work by Xenx & Will Barras.
Work by Xenx & Will Barras.
Detail of work by Xenx & Will Barras.
Work by Wen2.
Work by Pakone.
Work by JXC.
Detail of work by JXC.
Work by Karl Read.
Work by Tymon Ferenc de Last & Nuno Viegas.
Work by Lemak.
Work by ZZIRO.
Work by Bisser.
Works by Alexander Tadlock & Ant Carver.
Work by Alexander Tadlock.
Work by Ant Carver.
Works by Kaos & Cloakwork.
Work by Kaos.
Work by Cloakwork.
Work by Fats.
Work by Laura Schweiger & Size Two.
Work by Eleman.
Work by Hazard.
Work by Bragas.
Work by Ebee,
Work by Mariojin.
Work by Arladiss.
Work by Oze Arv.
Work by KLER & SoFreeSo.
Work by Idiom.
Work by Evandro Angerami.
Work by MAS972.
Work by LELE.
Work by Scott Naggy & Krimsone.
Work by Rame13.
Work by ???.
Work by Mawe.
Work by Alejandro Leston.
Work by Mariono Nana.
Work by Niall O’Lochlainn.
Work by ???.
Work by ???.
Work by ???.
Work by RAW Crew.
Work by M.A.D.
Work by ???.
Work by Soniconer.
Work by Sled One.
Work by Seapuppy.
Work by ???.
Work by Skie One.
Work by ???.
Work by Cheo.
Work by Paul Monsters.
Work by Manu Invisible.
Work by Soniconer.
Work by ???.
Work by Oze Arv.
‘The Heist’ by Chinagirl Tile & Angus.
‘Hadouken (Inky)’ by Angus.
Work by Angus.
Work by Chinagirl Tile from Upfest 2016 with a fresh addition by Angus for this years event.
Work by PAHNL.
Work by PAHNL.
Work by PAHNL.
Work by Rob Wass.
Work by Ian Andrew, depicting fellow artist Nol who couldn’t resist dropping a character in the bottom right corner.
Work by Mr June.
Work by Bex Glover.
Work by Chinagirl Tile.
Work by Cheo.
Work by Cheo.
Work by Eelus.
Street view of work by Eelus.
Work-in-progress by PAHNL.
Paste-Up work by C3.
‘I Stole Banksy’ by Chinagirl Tile.
‘I Stole Banksy’ by Chinagirl Tile.
Yarn-work by Danielle Clough.
Detail of work by Danielle Clough.
Work by Olivier Roubieu.
Work by Sake One.
Work by Lady Jday.
Work by Chinagirl Tile.
Detail of work by Work by Chinagirl Tile.
Work by Wasp Elder.
Work by Kid30ShrunkenHeads.
Work by Boaster.
Work-in-progress by Kobra.
Complete but obstructed work by Boe & Irony, a shame not to see it in all its glory, but we quite like this shot of their larger-than-life Seagull ready to bust out of its cage.
Works by Cheo & Rocket01.
Work by Cheo and his main feature work focused on the iconic character Morph.
Detail of work by Cheo.
Work by Rocket01.
Paste-Up works by D7606, Lost Hills, C3 & Jimzina.
Paste-Up work by Annatomix.
Work by Aspire.
Work by Cheba.
Work by Andrew Colwill.
Work by Angus.
‘I Stole Banksy’ by Chinagirl Tile.
‘Duality’ (Part 1) by Bigger Than Us duo Carleen De Sozer & Dreph.
Work by Carleen De Sozer depicting Dreph.
Work by Dreph depicting Carleen De Sozer.
Work by Elas.
Work by N4T4 & Philth.
Work by N4T4 & Philth.
Works by Naskool, Hannes Bizaarr, Title & Woskerski with a superb impromptu production.
Work by Naskool.
Works by Hannes Bizaarr & Title.
Detail of work by Hannes Bizzaarr.
Detail of work by Title.
Work by Woskerski.
Detail of work by Woskerski.
Detail of work by Woskerski.
Works by Mehsos, Envol & Mon Devane.
Work by Mehsos.
Work by Envol.
Work by Mon Devane
Work by S12.
Work by S12.
Detail of work by S12.
Detail of work by S12.
Work by Triptico.
Tape work by TAPE OVER.
Work by Decay.
Work by Emily Joy Rich.
Work by
Work by Goopmasta.
Work by ???
Work by Helen Bur.
Work by Newso.
Work by Hidetwo.
Work by Joan Aguilo.
Mammoth production work from Gums & Tongues X Lost Souls with the 9 artists taking on an impressive 48 panels for their piece based on the Garbage Pail Kids and very much enthused with the sense of humour and styles that sums up this group of artists.
Work by Obit.
Work by Tony Boy.
Work by Dahkoh.
Work by The Real Dill.
‘Gums And Tongues X Lost Souls’, enough said.
Work by Captain Kris.
Work by Si Mitchell.
Work by SPZero76.
Work by SPZero76.
Work by Squirl
Work by Kid Crayon.
Work by Si Mitchell.
Work by Kid Crayon.
Works by Obit, Tony Boy, Dahkoh & The Real Dill.
Works by Captain Kris & Si Mitchell.
Works by SPZero76 & Squirl.
Works by Kid Crayon & Si Mitchell.
You can view our post on our visit to Bristol to see the remaining works from Upfest 2015 in our post (covered here).
London Calling Blog 
Fabulous bit of reporting, great coverage
Great comprehensive look at this year’s fest..well done,great to see it all together like this..One teeny tiny unimportant niggle is S12 is actually Si2 … probably down to my sloppy handstyle 😁,Cheers Nick,Si2 @Hull_Graffiti
Reblogged this on Auntie G and commented:
Great article and pictures from London Calling