Art / inkie
Fruit shop gets the Inkie treatment
Frequent passersby of North Street, Bedminster may have noticed a recent change to their already colourful high street.
Bristol street artist Inkie has decorated the front of Ashton Fruit Shop with brightly coloured lettering and fruit, representing the vibrant fruit and vegetables being sold within.
Inkie and the finished street art on Ashton Fruit Shop – photo: Joanna Stopford
He is a quick worker, having started at lunchtime, he was done by 5pm.
is needed now More than ever
Inkie’s art is not new to the area, with a huge mural revealed on the Tobacco Factory in 2023 in collaboration with Silent Hobo.
It can also be seen on Petrie Glazing and the Bristol Beer Factory Tap Room, all within 10 minutes walking distance of North Street.
Inkie and Silent Hobo collaborated to paint this giant mural on the back of the tobacco factory – photo: Mia Vines Booth
Inkie says the area is like “a public gallery.”
North Street’s reputation for street art can be partly credited to Upfest, “Europe’s largest street art festival”.
Upfest Gallery is conveniently also on North Street, making it easy for Inkie to run to when in need of any last minute paint supplies.
Inkie’s street art on the Star and Garter in St Pauls – photo: Martin Booth
Being a seasoned street artist, Inkie has got the process down to a fine art.
“I do a little pencil sketch like that, then I pick the colours and come down here and see what works.”
Inkie and the sketch he does to prepare to freehand the art – photo: Joanna Stopford
He is well and truly a Bristolian, having decorated the streets since the 1980s, but his art transcends the city’s border.
If you ever find yourself wandering through the streets of Tahiti, Japan, Moscow and America, you are sure to recognise his pieces.
Much of this couldn’t be possible without Bristol art festivals such as Upfest and the connections made their and throughout the art scene.
Ashton Fruit Shop reached out to Inkie to decorate their shopfront – photo: Joanna Stopford
Main photo: Joanna Stopford
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