“The democratic nature of text is what draws me to it. Nearly everyone knows how to read a sign. … My work is trying to navigate and understand our place in public space too, so it just made sense that text was a great medium to explore that in.”

Sam Bloor is a visual artist and photographer based in Fremantle whose work explores the politics of public space, labour and visibility. Drawing on his background as a traditional signwriter, he creates bold, text-based installations and contemplative photographic works that mimic the language of commercial signage while critiquing social and political structures.

His large-scale public artworks feature ambiguous, hand-rendered phrases such as 'that sinking feeling' and 'illegal bodies', designed to disrupt everyday environments and prompt reflection. The tension between advertising aesthetics and activist messaging lies at the heart of Bloor’s practice, which combines craft, critique, and public intervention.

A graduate of Curtin University, Bloor has exhibited widely across Australia and internationally. Major projects include That Sinking Feeling, which was commissioned for Perth Festival and presented at the Fremantle Arts Centre, and his ongoing video series Line Drawings, which was recently shown at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. His work has been featured in the Fremantle Print Award, the Rotterdam Photo Festival and Totem in Tribute.

His work is held in public and private collections, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Through deceptively simple gestures, he challenges viewers to reconsider the messages and materials that shape our built environment.