FOR young artists or those who are considering becoming career artists, there are some tips from a gallery owner and an artist who has “been there, done that.”

Parvathi Nayar said: “Many young artists feel that they are not getting the prices they should be getting and their art deserves to be sold at high prices. Everyone’s art is good and it should sell at high prices. However, for a new artist, they should get the art out there and be realistic about pricing.”

“If they are performance or video artists, where the work is not stored in galleries and museums, of course your approach is different. If you draw, paint, sculpt, or take photographs, and you want your art in offices and museums, prices can go up as you continue to show your art and people continue to view it. Keep the prices competitive. Remember, that it is important for the work to be part of shows, take part in group shows, not just solos. See how other new artists are pricing their work. Don’t undercut them in pricing but see what the general range is. Keep it at that price range as there is no harm selling your art at that range.”

She adds: “If people buy it and put it up on their walls, it’s good that you get money to put back into the art. Art is a solitary process. Savvy young artists use social media as well and get people to follow their art via Facebook. Visibility is very important when you are starting out. It is like any other creative profession. If people don’t know you exist, how can they buy from you? They need to know you exist before you become a star. Get your art out there, through group shows, keep your art affordable, use social media so that people can put a face to the art. Unless you are very lucky and you get a gallery who completely believes in you, which is every artist’s dream as the gallery will do everything for you. Until that point, you have to do some of the work yourself.”

Artists like Casey Chen and Alex Soh are both social media savvy and have been successful as they upload their work to Facebook and maximise the Internet. Benjamin Hampe, Chan Hampe Galleries, advises young or emerging artists from a gallery’s point of view.

Hampe advises: “Be honest with yourself and your artwork is number one priority. Of course, quality is of paramount importance in the commercial world. Being honest when learning your artistic voice means you can experiment to find out what medium best suits you. You need to ensure that your technique is very strong.”

As a commercial gallery, we only want to sell quality products. This means all the honesty and content in the product has to be strong. However, if quality is there, we are happy to assist in the development of the artist’s career. We are open to both new and established artists. One new artist is Reuben Pang. I noticed his amazing abstract painting at the LaSalle graduation show last year and he was standing there beside his painting with his business cards. We exchanged numbers, started talking, and he exhibited with us at the Tanjong Pagar space. That’s where we do support emerging artists and more creative artists.

“As a commercial gallery, we are unique as we also create space for new artists to exhibit. We worry slightly less about the commercial aspect and focus more on developing that artist’s career. We had a similar process with Eric. However because he has a strong track record, the risk is minimised. For the show in November 2011, we told him to just be honest and paint what he wants. Paint something personal and viewers will respond in kind.”

New artists or those brave enough to take that leap of faith and make a career switch need not fret. With more galleries being open, and attending graduation shows, one may never know who might be discovered next, hence elevating Singapore’s potential to find the next Picasso.