As far as we at EL are concerned, choosing an artwork is as important as choosing furniture, especially when you have masses of white walls to fill up in your tropical abode. Both wall art and sculptures add depth, colour and personality to a room, though they do need to reflect your personality, so buy something you really love. And don’t worry about what others think – art is strictly subjective.
(Tip: if you and your partner don’t agree on the same painting, just sneak in and buy it while they’re not looking; it’ll add a bit of excitement on the home front!) Sometimes it even makes sense to buy art before you choose a colour scheme for a room. After all, it’s much easier to buy sofas and chairs that link in with your artwork than the other way round.
Royl Lim, Singaporean bought art from LivingwithArt
“I recently moved into a new home and I was in search of artwork or paintings to liven up my space and bring some cheer.
I found LivingwithArt through word of mouth (and Google, of course!). I was impressed by the level of professionalism I received from the team. They listened to my thoughts and requests intently, and provided great recommendations. And that was the deciding factor for me to go ahead.
The piece that I got is Untitled by Jays Phua, a Singaporean artist best known for his abstract expressionist works. I’m drawn to the artwork by the vibrant colours and energy; it’s symbolic of the cheery nature of my home.
It’s a purchase that I’m definitely happy with. I would strongly recommend collectors, home decorators and anyone to visit LivingwithArt. There’s a vast collection of works, and the professional team will be able to recommend some great paintings.”
LivingwithArt
#02-05 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road
6917 6503 | livingwithart.com.sg
Lisa Gwee, Singaporean recommends Artispique
I was looking for a special way to support my daughters’ artworks, and Artispique had the perfect idea of compiling their art in one place. My girls always have loads of creative ideas, but we reached a point where there was insufficient space to store all their artworks. With Artispique, we’ve captured their artistic milestones while letting the girls have a chance to look back at all their creations.
I got to know about Artispique through a friend, who recommended I check out their website because we shared a similar experience of trying to declutter the house while retaining our children’s art pieces. The company digitises and transforms artwork into keepsake books and gifts such as mugs, coasters and more.
After browsing the website, I decided to purchase the Memory Vault, which is available in digital or book format. We opted for the 11-inch square hardcover book (which also comes with a complimentary digital book), as we wanted to have a physical copy for the girls to refer to as they grow up, so they can reminisce about their creative journey.
As a firm believer of experiences and the process of learning, I felt the girls would also draw inspiration from their past works and continue to curate and explore their own artistic styles. The book serves as a great reference point for them, and will no matter how old they grow.
I’m very happy with my purchase. The shopping experience was great – Natasha from Artispique shares the same ideals as most parents, and the way they treated the art pieces and compiled them was impeccable. They have a great eye for detail and take a lot of pride in their work, and the prices are very reasonable. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for high-quality artworks.
Special offer: Book a complimentary Showcase Visit by 30 December 2022 and quote “Expat Living” to enjoy $25 off your Memory Vault keepsake book.
Alejandro Seif, Argentinean bespoke paintings from Gallery 278
“We had just purchased our first home and renovated it, but the living room felt bare. We have a great view of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from our living room, and wanted a piece of artwork on the walls that would complement – and not compete with – the rest of the apartment and the view.
We were initially looking to customise furniture to fit within the space constraints in our two-bedroom apartment, and Originals recommended us to Felicia from Gallery 278. We first met with Felicia to discuss a customised dining table, but were blown away in just one meeting by her attention to detail and ended up requesting her services to style the entire apartment, including selection of paintings.
We first tried to purchase an off-the-shelf piece, but couldn’t find anything to suit our space or budget. Felicia sold us on the idea of an L-shaped painting to complement the layout of our living room, and we ended up commissioning a local artist (Zhang Chun Lei) through her assistance. We wanted to stick to relatively neutral colours, and went through several ideation sessions with Felicia before finalising the concept.
We’re thrilled with the artwork – it has dramatically transformed our living room. There is immense depth in the piece, and we leave with a different impression and interpretation every time we look at it. The process of commissioning and installing the artwork was without hiccups and the team at Gallery 278 went above and beyond at every step of the way. We will definitely continue to buy art from them, and we couldn’t recommend them enough!”
Gallery 278
203A Henderson Road (Wing A), #11-01 & 02
6737 2322 | gallery278.com
Juliet Kelly-Wong, British, bought paintings from LivingwithArt
We had just moved house and had a very large wall space that needed one large artwork. I already knew of the artist Eleftharia Lasthiotaki and loved her art. We ended up purchasing two paintings of hers from LivingwithArt. One is called “Sometimes The Sky Is Pink”. This reminded us of a certain port in Greece that we love. The colours are gorgeous and, indeed, sometimes the sky is pink!
The other painting is called “Lines And Fragments”. The colours of this painting just transfixed us from the moment we saw it. It draws you in and transports you to another world. It’s now in our living room and there is not a day that goes by where I don’t immerse myself in it; it literally transports me to a place of calmness, serenity and happiness.
The service we received from LivingwithArt was fantastic and we would definitely purchase from them again!
LivingwithArt Singapore
#02-05 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road
9826 4172 | livingwithart.com.sg
Rosie Thompson, Scottish – Talking Textiles Art Studio
I have admired Deborah McKellar’s artwork for many years and have often bought her smaller prints for friends as leaving presents and her tea towels and glass platters as birthday gifts. I always liked different parts of different pieces of her work. So, for my birthday, my husband gave me the gift of a bespoke piece from Deborah, picking out my favourite parts and colours from all her various pieces. I also had cards made of the painting, which she named “Rosie’s Shophouse”.
Deborah’s work is very well known and admired among the expat community and I often see her pieces displayed in peoples’ houses. She uses many different and evolving techniques, so each piece is unique and tells a different story about Singapore.
I had a specific wall in mind for my bespoke piece. To fit the area, I commissioned a traditional Chinatown shophouse as the centrepiece, including details of Chinese lanterns, bamboo window bars, hand-painted frangipanis and bamboo in my favourite greens and gold leaf, and a double happiness symbol. Deborah also had some beautiful Christian Lacroix fabric and batik that was sewn onto the painting to add dimension.
I visited Deborah’s art studio and she spent lots of time with me, listening to my ideas and likes. She created a mock-up piece that I could then edit as desired. Different framing options were also presented. I’m not an artist at all, but I know visually what I like, and I was very impressed at how easily Deborah interpreted on paper what I was visualising in my head.
My husband Alistair was born in Singapore and spent the first few years of his life here. We have now commissioned Deborah to create a painting to reflect his memories of that time, including family photos as well as Alexandra Hospital and Jalan Pemimpin where he was born and lived. We can’t wait to see it.
Talking Textiles To book an appointment to visit the studio, contact talkingtextiles@gmail.com.
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