New exhibition celebrates Manx artist’s love of the coastline

Paul Parker at work in his Art Studio on the Isle of Man for Coastal Rhythms Exhibition

A new exhibition at the Manx Museum will celebrate one Manx artist’s lifelong fascination with the Island’s dramatic and ever-changing coastline.

Coastal Rhythms, which opens on 24 October, is a solo exhibition by Paul Parker, featuring 90 brand new works created in a variety of media.

Taking visitors on a journey around the coast of the Isle of Man, the exhibition captures familiar views alongside lesser-known locations and perspectives. Together, the works reflect the changing character of the Island’s shores, from the meeting point of land and sea to the shifting horizons where sea meets sky.

For Paul, the exhibition represents a return to the roots of his artistic practice, commenting:

“This exhibition is very much a personal one. Since I was a teenager, walking the coast has been one of my favourite activities. This show takes me back to my roots. I started painting and walking the coast 50 years ago, and it’s still one of my preferred things to do. The edges of the land where land meets sea and sea meets sky are constantly changing and full of drama, giving endless opportunities for paintings”.

The exhibition has been developed in partnership with Manx National Heritage, with the works created over the past year.

Manx National Heritage curator Matthew Richardson said:

“It has been a great privilege to work with Paul on this exhibition, and I have waited with much anticipation over the past year to see each new piece in the series, as he has created these unique works in real time. I was previously aware of some of the locations, but Paul often manages to surprise us with an unusual angle or aspect, or introduces something completely new. Wherever your favourite part of our coast is, visitors will find something to inspire them in the exhibition”.

Many of the works in Coastal Rhythms will be available to purchase, giving visitors the opportunity to take home a unique memento of a favourite Manx coastal location.

The exhibition opens at the Manx Museum on 24 October and runs until 3 January 2027, open daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm (closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day). Admission is free, although donations are welcome.

ENDS

Artist’s Profile: Paul Parker:

Paul Parker was born on the Isle of Man in 1957 and is largely a self-taught artist. He has held numerous solo exhibitions across the Island, beginning with his first show at The Idiom Gallery in 1980. Other venues to have exhibited his work include the Courtyard Gallery, the Sayle Gallery, Studio 42, Laxey Woollen Mills and the Manx Museum.

Paul’s work focuses primarily on landscape painting, with motorcycle racing providing an additional source of inspiration. His style is realistic yet loosely impressionistic, capturing the essence of a scene through suggested rather than precisely defined details. Light and atmosphere are central to his approach, and he works across a variety of media, including watercolour, acrylic, gouache, ink, wash, pastel and oil.

This exhibition is a particularly personal one, reflecting Paul’s lifelong connection with the Manx coastline. Since his teenage years, walking the Island’s coast has been one of his greatest pleasures. Having begun painting these landscapes around fifty years ago, he continues to return to the coast as an enduring source of inspiration.

The ever-changing boundaries between land and sea, and sea and sky, offer an endless variety of moods, movement and drama. It is this constant transformation that continues to draw Paul to the subject, providing fresh opportunities to explore the landscape through paint.

At the heart of his work is a simple desire to share the things that move him. As Paul explains, his approach can be summed up in the words: “I liked this, and I thought you might too.” His paintings invite viewers to experience the world through his eyes and, he hopes, to discover their own sense of connection with the places and moments he captures.

Media Contact:

For further information, please contact:

Lynsey Clague, Communications Manager

T: 01624 648032

E: Lynsey.Clague@mnh.im