29 Pieces Of Birmingham's Best Street Art

It's a city of colours.

1. graffiti4hire

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

Beneath the arches of Digbeth's Custard Factory is this giant orange octopus wielding (as they do) a hammer and saw. It featured in this ITV ident. Further into the neighbouring car park are four little fellows with telescopes, the lenses of which are satellite dishes. Follow the artists here.

2. French

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Directly opposite the octopus is this stencil by an artist simply known as French. An older piece, it is starting to fade, but the guard's tail remains no less weird.

NB: Strong beard.

3. Jimmy C

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Near all of the above is this work by James Cochran, aka Jimmy C. Jimmy played a key role in the development of the underground graffiti movement in Australia during the early 1990's and his signature aerosol pointillist style, painted entirely from blobs of spray paint, can be seen across the world. See more here.

4. Gent 48 and Newso

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Found in the heavily-decorated Lower Trinity Street car park this collaboration from Gent (this guy) and Newso (this guy) was part of the MADE Birmingham festival - a celebration of arts, music and culture that will return in 2016. Keep 'em peeled here for further details.

5. Justsoap

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Also in Lower Trinity Street car park is this small building block sporting the work of Justsoap. Heaven knows what it is that has Brum artists keen to paint outrageously coloured octopodes, but here's a pink one to add to the orange fellow above. More from Justsoap, here.

6. Mr Mind Control and Deeds

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

On the same building block are these two pieces by Mr Mind Control (Marvel) and Deeds (mousey guy). Both were painted as part of Brum's annual City of Colours Festival. The next City of Colours is in June 2016. Full details here.

7. Leon Frisby

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Opposite the entrance to Lower Trinity Street car park is this unsigned psychedelic black and white piece that has a number of local experts baffled as to who produced it. It's not uncommon to see passersby stood in a tranced out state, staring deep into the image. Know who painted it? Please contact me so we can credit them.

Update! Thanks for getting in touch, the artist is Leon Frisby.

8. Captain Kris

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Back inside Lower Trinity Street car park is this piece by Captain Kris that makes up a huge collage of a number of artists. Captain Kris's characters are almost always gummy folks with mouth wide open. More from him, here.

9. Lisk Bot

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

If it's in the West MIdlands and it features robots, chances are it's the work of Lisk Bot. Good start off points to find some are Bradford Street (World Domination, left) and Lower Trinity Street car park (Why Do I Do It, right). This image above decorates a Digbeth-based forklift truck dealership on Heath Mill Lane. More about Lisk Bot this-a-way.

10. Philth

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Phil Blake, a.k.a Philth's work can be found on the corner of Bromley Street and Hack Street. He's on Instagram here and has a website here. You'll notice how stunning women permeate much of his work.

11. Snub23

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Okay, okay, so not all robot graffiti in Brum is by Lisk Bot. This piece by Snub23 (website) is found just inside the Rainbow Arena on your right hand side as you enter. The wall-mounted light covers one eye and taken at the right angle can indeed replace the character's illuminous right peeper.

12. Digo Cardoso

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Also found inside the Rainbow Arena this is the invariably heart-warming work of Brazilian Digo Cardoso, who you can follow on Flickr or Facebook. Digo's trademark is his doll-like characters who can be seen in cities all over the world.

13. Mr Cenz

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

The first shot here shows you how the individual wall panels of the Rainbow Arena are dedicated to different artists. London-based graffiti artist Mr Cenz painted this as part of City of Colours. Mr Cenz had his first commissioned mural aged 11 when, presumably, he was known as Master Cenz. His website.

14. Artista

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Another City of Colours painting in the Rainbow Arena, this time by Artista. Artista's work tends to be rather cute as evidenced by this ice cream, and this turtle. D'awwww, bless'em.

15. Jay Sharples

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

A real change of pace can be found at the far left of the arena (left of entrance) and Manchester-based Jay Sharples' work. You can follow Jay on Instagram right here.

16. Andy Council

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Bristol muralist Andy Council took on an entire wall at the south end of Lower Trinity Street. A trademark of his are dinosaurs but on this trip to Brum he seemed far more concerned with ice creams. Like him on Facebook, here.

17. Title and Jim Vision

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Worth seeing in its full glory, here, this City of Colours collaboration saw London-based Jim Vision tie up with Brum's Title. In a sea of activity put to wall, it's the futuristic robo-soldier with a machine gun for a tongue that caught our eye. You'll find this on Adderley Street, Digbeth.

18. Alex Senna

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Also on Adderley Street this piece is by black and white specialist Alex Senna. The São Paulo-based artist's work often comes adorned with his trademark song birds. See more stills or check out this video, which is a lovely watch.

19. Dan Kitchener

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

Dan Kitchener's wall-climbing mural is a centrepiece painting for the Custard Factory rising a full eight storeys. His trademark is scenes of a rainy nature with umbrellas often out in force and at the base of this piece you can see just that. Check it our here and like him on Facebook.

20. Skank and Lews (Lews)

ravphotography.co.uk

Near the top of Moseley Street is a clever piece done on some concertina-style shutters. When read up the hill looking down it reads "Lews" while from down the hill looking up it reads "Skank" (see here).

21. Gent 48

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

On Alcester Street you'll find one of Gent 48's more macabre pieces. If you look at it on Google Street View you'll see it's painted on a fence that surrounds a derelict building the interior of which, though strictly off limits, is apparently laden with graffiti.

22. Mssd Cnnctn

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

Known as Mssd Cnnctns (Missed Connections) this artist places stickers around Brum with thought-provoking sentences inspired by a mix of books, films, music, and life experiences. The very first sticker was a nod to Super Mario and can be seen here. These two can be found on Bradford Street but over 2000 stickers have found homes on lamp posts and walls from Brum, where it began, all the way to Prague.

23. Ziner and Gent 48

ravphotography.co.uk

A lot of Gent 48's time in painting is spent on the detailed faces, particularly as the faces tend to be rather large. This collaboration with Ziner is at the bottom of Bradford Street. Brummie Ziner is over on Instagram here. His work tends to be more like the New York-style graffiti that focuses on words rather than pictures.

24. Anna Garforth

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

The Geo Fox is a much beloved wooden work attached to the wall of a car park on Lower Essex Street. Commissioned as part of Eye Candy Festival, multi-disciplinary Garforth is also responsible for this piece outside Birmingham's Boxxed, on Floodgate Street.

25. Goldenboy

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

Down the hill from the Geo Fox, but still on Lower Essex Street, is this mural by Golden Boy. The glasses on each representation of the lad are different. A bitter row (oh, okay, a friendly one) rages in Brum over which is best. Whatever the answer, this kid's got more sunglasses than Elton John. Here's Golden Boy's Flickr and Instagram.

26. Assorted artists

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

On Digbeth's Meriden Street is a nightclub called Suki10c, decked in work by a number of professional street artists. As One, Lisk Bot, Tempo33, Johnny Vacant, G-Anders, Angryface and n4t4 have all contributed.

27. Joe Miles, Graffiti4hire

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

http://www.ravphotography.co.uk/

One of the office blocks in the Zellig building has its own neck tie. No neck. No head. No human qualities at all, in fact, but it has a tie. It's the smile-making work of graffiti4hire.

28. Si2

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

And beneath that very tie-clad building sits this disgruntled Biffa bin. It's the work of Si2 (follow him on Facebook) and was part of the City Of Colours Festival, which is on Facebook, here.

29. As One

Rav Photography / Via ravphotography.co.uk

And finally, also towering above that bin in the Zellig car park is this piece by As One, constantly monitoring with a killer-eye how well or badly you park your car. No pressure.

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