Covering 700sq m where the fountains were
19:03, 09 Sep 2025Updated 19:06, 09 Sep 2025
The creation of ‘Our Common Ground’, a brand new artwork by multidisciplinary artist Oshii drawing on African heritage, world history and present-day community voices, on the ground of The Centre in Bristol(Image: Plaster PR)
The heart of Bristol city centre is being transformed with a huge new on-the-ground work of art, on top of an area recently paved over where the fountains in The Centre were. The work has been commissioned and funded by the council and local businesses.
The work, called Our Common Ground, is being created this week in the space between the Cascade Steps and the statue of Neptune, and has been curated by the Bristol Legacy Foundation. Bristol Live first revealed the plan to create the artwork back in July, and it will eventually cover a whopping 704 square metres, and will feature a huge heart inscribed with the word ‘Bristol’.
The work has been created by Oisin Davis-Lyons – aka artist Oshii – and commissioned as part of the transformation of the Centre Promenade, the area where there were most recently dried up fountains. That’s now been tarmacked over to create a bigger area for street food stalls and public events, and it’s now being decorated by the artwork.
Bristol Legacy Foundation is a charity set up in 2019 to address the systemic marginalisation of African Heritage Communities in cultural, creative and public spaces, and this is the biggest, most prominent project they’ve been involved in to date.
Around the heart will be masks, hands, eyes and rhythmic patterns, with the artwork drawing on African heritage, world history and present-day community voices.
“Its bold colours and layered imagery invite people to reflect on journeys, memory and identity, while imagining a shared future built on care and respect,” said a spokesperson for the project. “Created for the heart of Bristol, the artwork is anchored by a heart inscribed with the word ‘Bristol’, symbolising that it belongs to everyone in the city. Around the heart, masks, hands, eyes and rhythmic patterns weave stories of strength and connection – acknowledging the city’s historical legacy while celebrating the creativity and resilience of African heritage communities today,” she added.
“The artwork has been shaped in part by community and stakeholder engagement, through a series of sessions that invited local residents, businesses and organisations to preview early concepts and contribute to the artwork’s development. These sessions helped ensure that the final design reflects the diverse voices, values, and aspirations of Bristol’s communities,” she added.
Installation of the artwork will continue throughout the month. Interpretation panels will offer visual and audio descriptions of the artwork, along with cultural and historical context, which those behind the project said they hoped would ‘encourage deeper engagement and exploration by visitors of all ages’.
READ MORE: Bristol’s fountains are gone but an eye-catching feature is set to replace themREAD MORE: Calls to ‘bring back the grass and river’ to the Centre
The artist Oshii said he wanted to create something that inspired people. “Our Common Ground is about honesty and imagination – facing the past and dreaming of a shared future,” he said. “I wanted to create something that belongs to Bristol and reflects its heart: a place where voices, cultures and histories meet on common ground,” he added.
The artwork has been shaped in part by community and stakeholder engagement, through a series of sessions that invited local residents, businesses and organisations to preview early concepts and contribute to the artwork’s development. These sessions helped ensure that the final design reflects the diverse voices, values, and aspirations of Bristol’s communities.
The creation of ‘Our Common Ground’, a brand new artwork by multidisciplinary artist Oshii drawing on African heritage, world history and present-day community voices, on the ground of The Centre in Bristol(Image: Plaster PR)
One of those funding the huge artwork project is the Bristol Business Improvement District. Its interim head of place is Anna Farthing. “Our Common Ground will be a powerful focal point for the Centre Promenade, transforming the area into a more welcoming destination and place to meet and spend time with others,” she said.
“For the businesses based in the centre, that means greater footfall, a stronger sense of place and a more vibrant atmosphere that encourages people to stay, shop and connect. Public art of this scale not only enhances our cultural identity, but also brings lasting benefits to everyone who shares this space,” she added.
The city council is also involved – the space was created by the council digging up and paving over the fountains earlier this year to create a long public square – or rectangle – from the end of Baldwin Street to the Cascade Steps.
“This artwork brings colour, reflection and meaning to the heart of Bristol,” said council chief Cllr Andrew Brown. “Where once ships involved in the trade of sugar, spices, and enslaved people would have docked, we now celebrate the contribution of the city’s diverse communities. The completed promenade will be a space where we can pause and reflect on the past, enjoy the present, and look forward together,” he added.
The creation of ‘Our Common Ground’, a brand new artwork by multidisciplinary artist Oshii drawing on African heritage, world history and present-day community voices, on the ground of The Centre in Bristol(Image: Plaster PR)
The chair of the Bristol Legacy Foundation is Asher Craig, who served as deputy mayor for eight years under former Mayor Marvin Rees. “We want this artwork to be both a landmark and a meeting place,” she said.
“Our Common Ground honours Bristol’s history, celebrates the present and invites all who pass through to take part in imagining a more inclusive future,” she added.
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