www.bristolpost.co.uk /news/bristol-news/new-banksy-bristol-live-mural-6865724

New 'Banksy' in Bristol LIVE: Mural appears in Easton in style of famous artist

Daisy Tian Dai, Ben Bloch, Yvonne Deeney 6-8 minutes 3/27/2022

A street artist has claimed a new Banksy-style mural in Bristol. The artwork has appeared on the side of a building in Easton and there was speculation that it could be by Banksy.

The street art is located at the bottom of Colston Road in the east Bristol neighbourhood. It shows three children - two are looking upwards into the sky, and a smaller child is drawn facing the wall, waving a stick with one of the T-shirts the artist designed in aid of the 'Colston Four' attached to it.

The elusive Bristol artist has not yet confirmed or denied whether the artwork is from him. There is a logo that appears to be a signature at the bottom of the work that reads PRTVS ABONA, and Portus Abonae (@pa_stencilart on Instagram) has now claimed ownership of the work.

READ MORE: Colston Road renamed to honour the people who pulled down controversial statue

The road on which the artwork has appeared - Colston Road - was given a new name last month as Bristol continues to grapple with the legacy of slave trader Edward Colston. It was renamed 'Colston Four Road' in honour of the four people who pulled down the Edward Colston statue amid Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, but the road sign was then defaced with the word 'yobs' painted over it.

The four people who pulled down the statue were cleared at trial of criminal damage for pulling down the statue, with the defence team making the successful argument that leaving the statue up was a hate crime against the people of Bristol, and therefore pulling it down was the prevention of a crime.

The logo at the bottom of the work, raising doubts about whether it is a Banksy mural

The logo at the bottom of the work, raising doubts about whether it is a Banksy mural

On Saturday, December 11, Banksy announced the sale of limited edition shirts with all proceeds going to support the Colston Four. They sold out in just seven hours. In the street art, a child is seen waving one of those shirts attached to a stick.

Although many elements pointed to the piece being by the elusive artist, some have said that there is not much evidence of his signature use of stencils in his work. Bristol Live approached Banksy's representatives for comment.

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Key Events

Sophie Grubb

'Brazenly borrowing Banksy'

Street artist Portus Abonae (@pa_stencilart on Instagram) has claimed a new Banksy-style mural in Bristol, posting an image on Instagram.

The caption describes the context of the image, writing: "Brazenly borrowing images from the artist Banksy, and carrying his tradition of location, local relevance, and public comment, this shows three children of mixed backgrounds pledging allegiance to his fundraising tee shirt."

"Bristol has long been the vanguard city for public and community art, taking art out of the hands of the elite and making it for all to appreciate, look at, and enjoy." The logo at the bottom of the mural appears to match the name 'Portus Abnoae'.

Read the full story here

Ben Bloch

'Portus Abonae' claims the mural

In a post on Instagram, a more obscure street artist Portus Abonae (@pa_stencilart on Instagram) has claimed the mural. Her account posted pictures of the mural early this morning with a caption describing the image.

The caption describes the context of the image, writing: "Brazenly borrowing images from the artist Banksy, and carrying his tradition of location, local relevance, and public comment, this shows three children of mixed backgrounds pledging allegiance to his fundraising tee shirt."

The caption concludes: "Bristol has long been the vanguard city for public and community art, taking art out of the hands of the elite and making it for all to appreciate, look at, and enjoy."

The logo at the bottom of the mural appears to match the name 'Portus Abnoae' (see blog post below).

Ben Bloch

Is this the Banksy logo?

On the left is a piece that went to action in 2021, and on the right is a shot of the logo on the unclaimed mural in Easton. The 'A' in a circle is a signature of Banksy's, short for 'anarchy'.

On the left is a piece that went to action in 2021, and on the right is a shot of the logo on the unclaimed mural in Easton. The 'A' in a circle is a signature of Banksy's, short for 'anarchy' (Image: SWNS/Bristol Live)

Ben Bloch

Who are the 'Colston Four'?

Rhian Graham, 30, of Colston Road, Easton in Bristol; Milo Ponsford, 26, of Otter Close in Bishopstoke, Hampshire; Jake Skuse, 37, of Farley Close in Little Stoke, South Gloucestershire and Sage Willoughby, 22, of Gloucester Road in Bristol, were all charged with criminal damage and underwent a trial that lasted almost a month.

On January 5, 2022, they were cleared by the jury and acquitted of all charges. Their defence successfully argued that leaving the statue up was a hate crime against the people of Bristol, and therefore pulling it down was the prevention of a crime.

For the full details and the story of the trial and the aftermath, click here.

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Ben Bloch

Colston Road renamed

Following the toppling of Bristol's Edward Colston Statue in June 2020, a number of buildings and institutions have changed their names to distance themselves from the slave trader, whose company was responsible for the deaths of 84,000 African men, women and children. But lots of streets across our city still have his name, apart from one in Easton which has recently switched from Colston Road to Colston Four Road.

The name is honouring the four people who were cleared of all charges of toppling the controversial statue and dumping it in the harbour. It's unclear if the new road sign was put in place by the council, or was the work of local residents, but it definitely looks official.

For the full story, click here

Ben Bloch

Where is Colston Road?

Colston Road is a residential street in Easton, east Bristol, and the artwork is located at the junction with Chelsea Road.

In the images below, you can see what the wall looked like before the artwork appeared on the wall, and a map of where it is.

A map of where Colston Road is located (Image: Google Maps)

A Google Street View image of where the new mural has been painted (Image: Google Maps)

KEY EVENT

Photos of the artwork

A suspected new Banksy artwork has appeared on the side of a property on Colston Road (Image: Bristol Live)

The artwork is located on Colston Road in Easton (Image: Bristol Live)