A new mural by local Bristol artist Felix Braun aka FLX has been painted alongside the M32, creating a cultural marker on the entrance to the city.  

The artwork is based around the slogan “Loves You Bristol” and seeks to promote a positive image of the area and the diversity of the city. “Loves you” is a chirpy phrase most Bristolians will have heard or said. It is surrounded by the word “Love” translated into the eight most spoken languages in Bristol (including Somali, Urdu and Polish) as well as Braille and BritishSign Language. The background includes the mosque and a local church, local wildlife, bikes, skateboards, the reggae party and many more symbols relevant to the local area in Easton.

The public artwork was commissioned by Wildstone – an outdoor media infrastructure business with sites close by.

Philip Allard, COO and Planning Director at Wildstone says:

“As a responsible landlord Wildstone always seek to invest in communities where we own outdoor media infrastructure. When our client, the local owner of a cash and carry business, told us about his issues with tagging and following the removal of an older billboard, we wanted to come up with a solution that would not only help him but also give something back to the local community whilst recognising Bristol’s creativity. That’s how the idea of the public mural was born. We met with the local ward councillor, local police and Bristol Council’s environmental manager who were all very supportive of this project. We engaged with Upfest who managed the works on our behalf and did a wonderful job finding the talented local artist FLX, who was the perfect choice for this project. We could not be more pleased with the results, which have had a transformative impact on the building and the surrounding area.”

Stephen Hayles, Director at Upfest adds:

“Out of respect the mural also features the names of graffiti artists who have sadly passed away and we are hoping that the mural remains as a vibrant welcome to our great city.”

Barry Parsons, Councillor for Easton ward comments:

“I’m really pleased to see Flx’s fantastic mural come to life. It’s been a real pleasure working with everyone involved in this project. It’s a colourful welcome to Bristol and a lovely message that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Stapleton Road, and the great range of languages spoken here. From now on, whenever I’m coming back to Easton on the M32, I’ll see “Loves You Bristol” and know I’m home.”

The mural covers the whole wall and is visible to passing vehicles on the M32 and to pedestrians and cyclists on the adjacent public footpath.  The mural presents a positive image of the city and local area to both Bristolians and visitors to the city.