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Bristol artist Asmaa Jama takes over billboards across city

Chloe HarcombeBBC News
News imageKevin Lake Asmaa Jama in front of two billboards featuring their workKevin Lake
Jama said: "In Bristol, the places I love are the places that people have resisted their erasures, like St. Paul’s, Easton and Barton Hill"

Billboards across a city have been taken over by an artist.

Asmaa Jama was commissioned to create the art in Bristol as part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD's national project All About Love.

Danish artist Jama said their pieces were a "love letter" for communities that are "always discarded".

Billboards have also been taken over in Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton and Birmingham by artists that are queer, female, non-binary or people of colour.

Jama's work is made up of stills from their film "Except this time nothing returns from the ashes" (2022).

The national project was inspired by bell hooks' novel, All About Love.

News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed Still from Jama's film. A character has her eyes closed and her face is painted and covered in cutout pieces of paper.Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
The project was curated by Zarina Rossheart
News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed Still from Jama's film, featuring five people. One is staring directly at the camera whilst the caption reads "We are a contamination the earth remembers"Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
Jama's work can be seen on billboards across Bristol

Jama's work is made up of photographic stills and fragments of poetic text from the film.

They said: "This work, is in fact, for the communities that are always discarded. The people and places, considered ruins and past saving.

"I think love is a contaminating force that helps us resist our erasures and our annihilation.

"In Bristol, the places I love are the places that people have resisted their erasures, like St. Paul's, Easton and Barton Hill. Where the communities gather, and salvage themselves."

News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed A still from "Except this time nothing returns from the ashes", showing two characters in neon lighting looking into the camera. The caption reads "a ruin is a thing still salvageable"Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
The billboards build on quotes from the film "Except this time nothing returns from the ashes"
News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed A still from "Except this time nothing returns from the ashes", showing two characters dressed in wedding attire. They are holding hands and looking directly into the camera. The caption reads "land of the refuse, rejects"Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
"Except this time nothing returns from the ashes" is being screened at Spike Island until Sunday

Jama's work can be viewed at 20 prominent sites across Bristol, including Temple Gate, West Street, Old Market Roundabout and Kingsland Road.

The project began on Wednesday at 13:00 BST and be on display until Sunday.

News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed A still from "Except this time nothing returns from the ashes", showing a character sat on a motorbike. The caption reads "our belief is a net"Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
Jama's commission is the fifth and final edition of the national project
News imageAsmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed Still from Jama's film, featuring one character looking down into the camera from above. His eyes are covered with film roll. The caption reads "we are here to offend them with our living"Asmaa Jama/Gouled Ahmed
The curator said Jama's project is "a work of extraordinary beauty, courage and self-love"
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