Studio Meraki and Eastside Community Trust are excited to share the artists selected to create three new artworks on Stapleton Road this summer. The project aims to create pride of place, improve the physical place and bring visitors to the street. Artists will work closely with the community on the final designs that will be installed on Stapleton Road by the end of August 2023.
“We were overwhelmed by the interest in this project, we had over 35 expressions of interest from some exceptionally talented artists from Bristol and beyond. The selected artists all showed a particular interest in working closely with the community and have an established relationship with the area. The artists all proposed something different from the traditional Bristol street art style which gives Stapleton Road the opportunity to develop its own creative identity that represents the diversity and range of cultural backgrounds on the street.”
Becky Whitmore, Eastside Community Trust.
Marion Wright, Zakiya McKenzie and Jess Grimsdale
The all-female collective of practicing artists have expertise in poetry, storytelling, design, signwriting, pictorial and scenic painting, and illustration. Their vision for this project is to find reference points in the natural world and the cultural heritage of Stapleton Road to create a hand-painted mural incorporating words, poetry and pictorial motifs derived from local history, culture, nature, and people.
Marion is a pictorial artist, signwriter, and designer. She paints unusual and eye-catching designs on boats, using typography to convey more than just what the words say and is interested in how this concept can be used to create powerful street art.
Zakiya lives in Easton and is a writer and storyteller and was the 2019 writer-in-residence for Forestry England during its centenary year. In Bristol, she was 2017 Black and Green Ambassador and is a volunteer at Ujima Community Radio station. She regularly leads nature, art and writing workshops, including one on Caribbean storytelling for primary schools.
Jess is a traditional signwriter and illustrator based in Barton Hill. She has been a practising signwriter since 2018 and has worked on a variety of great projects including several large-scale jobs at Carters Steam Fair and Giffords Circus, and on a couple of local murals.
Zoe Gibbons
Zoe is a visual artist who has worked and lived in BS5 since 2001. Her work visualises heritage stories and explores our connection to place using salvaged and upcycled materials. She’s a mixed media artist who uses freehand machine embroidery, collage and tufting processes.
“I am excited to celebrate women in Easton by creating artwork to recognise their contributions to the local community! I will be talking to as many people in the local area as possible about the project during July, and I will be running a couple of workshops where you can explore some of the materials and processes, I use in my artwork. Some of the women will then be featured in larger banners along Stapleton Road.”
Molly Mural
Molly, also known as Molly Mural, is a visual artist who brings joy and positivity to the world through her bold, colourful cut-out shapes and patterns. Molly, based in Easton, is committed to making art accessible and connecting communities through playful optimism.
“For the Stapleton Road Public Art Project, I plan to create a large-scale mural combined with window vinyl artworks that reflect the spirit and vibrancy of the Easton community. The artwork will incorporate elements of storytelling, local history, and cultural symbolism, as well as interactive features like QR codes and hidden messages.”
Marion Wright, Zakiya McKenzie and Jess Grimsdale
Zoe Gibbons
Molly Mural
The artworks have been commissioned as part of the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme, funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority’s Love our High Streets project.
