Positivity in pandemic times
IF there is one thing artist Shan Shan Lim has learned, it is that affordability and making her printmaking art seen on Instagram is a great way to attract a new generation of art collectors.
One glance at her I Am Jungle limited edition print series, promoted on the Outlet KL online platform, is enough to tell you that these are the kind of contemporary works that millennials and dare we say, Gen Z, would have adorning their rooms and homes.
Shan Shan, a textile design graduate from London’s Central Saint Martins, specialises in weaving and printing. She agrees that keeping things young, hip and vibrant makes her artworks marketable online.
“When you promote artworks of the artist through social media platforms, you need to not only highlight the artwork but the artist’s story as well,” says Shan Shan, describing how Outlet KL has ensured that each artist on its virtual “shop window” has a backstory to share.
These short and fun snippets make for good social media posts, keeping young media-savvy followers tuned in. More than that, limited edition prints from a youthful artist like Shan Shan can be seen as an affordable investment or a great first-time purchase from a new art collector.
With more people working from home, there is no reason not to get hooked on printmaking art, which is produced in editions, look contemporary cool and can be owned by the masses.
“My limited edition prints were created as an extension of my original paintings that people can collect at a more affordable price to display in their homes,” says Shan Shan, referring to her prints that come in two sizes (A4 & A3) and sell between RM70 and RM90.
Paintings on canvas are, arguably, more expensive and time consuming to produce.
As a matter of survival, some young artists are looking at printmaking art to keep their careers going while art galleries themselves are in recovery mode.
Be not mistaken. Shan Shan’s artworks would attract many an art collector. But empty galleries and cancelled art shows are the harsh realities of a pandemic-stricken art scene.
Promoting and selling art on social media, after all, is the new normal for many artists these days and Shan Shan agrees that a new platform such as Outlet KL is helpful in reaching a target market of printmaking art collectors.
Before she was featured in Outlet KL, Shan Shan mentions that she was handling sales of her artwork through her own website when the pandemic hit last year.
As the pandemic months went on, she decided to take a hiatus from creating art and took on a full-time job as a designer for financial stability.
With Outlet KL representing her, Shan Shan does not have to juggle between her day job and selling her artwork.
“They handle all the printing of the artworks as well as packaging and shipping, which makes it so much easier for me.
“I used to have to print, wrap, pack and ship out my artwork orders all on my own and it can be very time-consuming,” says Shan Shan, who founded her own consulting agency Shan Shan Lim Studios in 2017.
In her new collection, Shan Shan has designed a series of three prints, exploring the theme of self-discovery using natural motifs.
“As one ventures into uncharted jungle, these sketches portray the exploration of our dense inner