Paul Bloomer exhibition opens at Shetland Museum this Sunday – celebrating 25 years of work
Shetland Museum and Archives is proud to announce the opening of Flight, a major retrospective exhibition by Paul Bloomer, celebrating 25 years of work inspired by Shetland. The exhibition opens in Da Gadderie this Sunday and runs until 4 January 2026, presenting a powerful body of paintings, etchings, prints and drawings that capture Shetland’s wild skies, shifting seascapes and dramatic landscapes.
Since arriving in Shetland over two decades ago, Paul Bloomer has walked Shetland’s wild landscapes with sketchbook at his side, drawing inspiration from both its elemental environment and its daily life. His practice reflects two landscapes that have shaped him profoundly: the industrial heartlands of the Black Country, where he grew up, and the luminous skies and raw vitality of Shetland.
From dark charcoals rooted in his early memories to expansive oils alive with colour, Flight traces a journey that explores contrasts – destruction and beauty, shadow and light, mourning and celebration. Birds, landforms and shifting skies recur throughout his work not only as motifs but as symbols of migration, transition and continuity, qualities that resonate strongly with Shetland itself.
Shetland Museum’s exhibition officer, Karen Clubb said: “This exhibition of over 100 pieces, is both impressive in scale and moving in scope. Paul’s black and white etchings are small, considered and disciplined, while his colour work is vast, dramatic and vibrantly alive, responding directly to the elemental forces of Shetland. Flight offers a rare chance to reflect on the breadth of his practice, his extraordinary observational skills and exploration of Shetland’s environment and his own evolving artistic response to it. We’re honoured to host this retrospective of his work at the museum.”
Bloomer studied at Nottingham Trent University and the Royal Academy Schools in London before moving to Shetland, where his art has flourished. His work explores universal themes of life and death, war and peace and the physical tension between the physical and the spiritual, always rooted in close observations of people, birds and landscapes.
Paul said: "Shetland has been more than my home - it has been my sanctuary, my teacher, and my artistic collaborator. In its wild winds and endless horizons, I discovered not just the birds, the trout, the landscapes and friendships, but also layers of myself that I never knew. Shetland has reshaped me as an artist, and I’m delighted to have the chance to reflect on 25 years of nonstop creative output."
Flight runs until 4 January 2026. Original canvases and prints of original woodcuts and etchings are available for sale through Own Art Scheme, allowing buyers to spread the cost over 10 interest-free monthly instalments. A book and catalogue will accompany the exhibition.
Exhibition Talks and Tours
Gallery Tour with Paul Bloomer - book here
Sunday 26th October, 2pm – 3.30pm
Join Paul for a tour of Da Gadderie where he will speak in more detail about the inspiration and processes behind his work in this 25-year retrospective.
Artist Talk with Paul Bloomer - book here
Thurs 30th Oct from 7pm – 9pm
There will also be an illustrated talk in the auditorium, where Paul will share in more detail personal and professional aspects of his artistic career.
