What is The Back Room?
The Back Room is in equal turns:
A gallery exhibiting works from emerging and alternative artists
A platform for conversations about art, artists and the arts
A friendly place to get to know and learn more about art, even if it’s your first time
A spot for hanging out with the Zhongshan Building community
What is the difference between The Back Room and other galleries?
While many galleries focus on steady roster of established artists and cater to a collector clientele, The Back Room is a place for more alternative and often times new experiences. This can range from a more established painter who hasn’t shown his works for more than a decade, an architect who discovers and also designs a planetary system, or an art historian who re-imagine old narratives and collaborates with visual artists to present his research.
What kind of works do you carry?
Really, all sorts! In forms: paintings, prints, photographs, silkscreens, sculptures, books, collages, etc.
In artists: painters, photographers, professors, architects, activists, lawyers, writers, graphic designers, …
In prices: a range of prices
Which is to say, it really depends on the work the artist and your own budget / preferences, but we do always take care to have a range of works - we believe in quality works from good artists (not mass produced generic art) but at fair prices that have a place in your home or office whether that’s a small condominium or a giant living room with high ceilings.
How do I view them or learn more?
For a start, you can view them here on the website, follow our Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter!
Take your time to browse through what we have. If you find something you like, feel free to DM on Instagram or say hi to me (Liza!) at hello@thebackroomkl.com. I can tell you more about the work/ artist, send more photos, or arrange for an in person viewing (if the work is not on display).
If you don’t find something you like, then stay tuned, or reach out to us anyway! We usually have more works in reserve/ not currently on display that could be to your liking.
In any case, do follow us: we post regular updates and posts not just about the works we carry, but serve as a resource on art, art collecting and artistic practices as well!
I’m not loaded…. can I really buy art?
Yes, of course! We firmly believe that art is not just for the rich. You might be surprised at the people who buy art from us: we have students buying their first piece and putting it up in their bedroom and carrying it around them from dorm to dorm, we have young couples who buy art piece for their first home, and we have seasoned veterans who come every exhibit.
As we’ve said before, while we don’t believe in “cheap” art, we believe in fair prices and having a range of art of different mediums, sizes and price points.
Will the art have value after I buy it?
This is the perennial question every budding collector asks. The short answer is: If you are buying art as an investment, then you will need either a very good eye, wonderful luck, or a focus on a the established “brand names” (and the capital to do so) to truly make a steady source of income.
This isn’t to say that the art you buy will have no value after you purchase; sometimes due to growing appreciation, circumstances, or changing trends in the market a work’s value can grow over time. But it is never a guarantee, like any investment, and what more art which is all the more subjective.
We encourage you to first buy a work that appeals to you and your space. Think about what artwork you would feel happy with looking at it in your home and you would appreciate having in your space. If the work appreciates over time, that’s a bonus!
So…how do I decide to buy a piece of art?
Again, it comes down to your personal preferences, space and budget!
Sometimes a customer will fall in love on first sight with a work and immediately buy it. Sometimes a customer will visit the exhibit several times, mull over it for weeks, juggle between a few pieces, and decide to go for something smaller to better fit a constrained apartment space. Sometimes they go by what kind of atmosphere they want to create, or what kind of art they already have. Or sometimes a family will make a purchase together and decide collectively.
Long story cut short, there is not hard and fast way to decide, but usually customers do think about:
What is the first impression this piece left on me?
What drew me to the work?
Do I find the work more fascinating the more I stare or does it get “stale” quickly?
Do I see the work adding to the space I have in terms of the vibe, the colour palette, how it fills up the place?
These are some the questions that are useful to think about when deciding on a piece of art for you!
What happens after I purchase the artwork? Can you help me to frame it?
Yes, of course. You can email us after you have purchased the artwork and tell us your preference in framing, or we can advise you too! We work with the best framers in town.
If I can’t come to collect the artwork, can you deliver and help me to hang the work?
Definitely. We can help you to coordinate the delivery of the artwork to your place and get professional installers to help you out. If you are unsure, one of us can come too to oversee the hang.
Do you have an instalment plan?
When we can and depending on the price of the artwork, we can provide an easy instalment plan for you. All artworks can be collected after it has been fully paid.
What other services do you offer?
With our parent company, OUR ArtProjects, we can provide extensive art consultancy and advisory services, sourcing, acquiring and commissioning artworks, and end-to-end project management. We are able to service private or corporate collections.