Escape from the heat and general cacophony of Petaling Street and step through the glass doors (as a bell tinkles somewhere inside) into Venus Art, one of the last art stores in the city. Established in 1969 by Yap Chin Fatt, the dusty, messy shop is known as one of the best places for art supplies and Chinese ink painting materials in Malaysia. However, after nearly half a century of operations, Venus Art will be closing down for good in May, brought about as a result of the falling currency exchange rate, taxes and rising expenses. They are currently holding a sale before it shuts for good, so do drop by to pick up a canvas or two and bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Yap.
Photo: Daniel Chan
Photo: Daniel Chan
Photo: Daniel Chan
It’s always fun to wander through the shop, breathing in the smell of acrylics and browsing through the shelves as there’s no knowing what you might find. The shelves are well-stocked with Daler Rowney acrylics, paints from Winsor & Newton, pelaka, palettes, craft knives and paint brushes, while the end of the shop holds canvases and papers. The walls are lined with glass cabinets filled with curios such as kabuki masks, a dusty typewriter, and even an oversized abacus. We bought our first brush pen here. No matter if you’re a fine artist looking for specific materials for a project, an architecture student searching for technical pens, an art director purchasing charcoal pencils for sketches, or a kid buying his first set of crayons, you can find it all here. Thank you, Venus Art, for allowing generations of Malaysians to create more art.
Photo: Daniel Chan
Photo: Daniel Chan
Photo: Daniel Chan
Photo: Daniel Chan