HYDERABAD: The art industry has witnessed a growing demand for skilled artists and fine works of art and online portals are now doing a fine job of catering both to buyers and artists. Shobhit Arora, founder of worldartcommunity.com, is one of the many entrepreneurs giving a space to emerging photographers, artists and designers. One of the talents who benefitted from this initiative is Kunal Malhotra who not too long ago was looking for ways to sell his photographs as he did not have enough capital to put in an exhibition.
He then decided to go online and explore some receptive portals.He found many modules where the artist fixes the price and then the platform in question charges a base price. A photographer can also add the link to his website, so there is a good chance that people will go to their website to know more about the photographer.
Excerpts from a conversation with Shobhit Arora
How did you get the idea of creating worldartcommunity. com?
It all happened when I was with a group of friends having coffee after office hours. The conversation just veered to a path beyond the ordinary and turned to the possibility of creating an organisation with a sense of purpose and making a difference to people’s lives. And so the idea of the WorldArtCommunity.com was born.
Tell us more...
We spent a lot of time evaluating the current social structure and people’s issues. We realised that creativity is an element that defines what we seek in our lives - and yet do not find its logical fulfillment due to our limitations. I saw creators of art searching desperately for ways in which to pursue their passion and some struggling to make a career out of their passion. Their resources are limited but the opportunity is not. With immense support from like-minded people who were passionate about supporting our cause, the portal took shape.
How do you define the portal?
As the name suggests, we are a community. Not just one of India’s online art- centric market places. It is a space where art creators and art lovers meet. At worldartcommunity.com, we believe that artists can find financial and personal rewards by starting their own business - using the power of collaboration and technology. For art connoisseurs, the World Art Community will offer one-of-a-kind, handcrafted products
which would fulfill aspirations for a beautiful lifestyle.
Where do you see yourself going with this?
If we get a good response, which we are, we hope to go on as this is a unique portal that empowers artists and designers to create their own space and in this process reach out to discerning buyers.
How do you price the art?
We are a peer-to-peer marketplace. Our revenue model is based on commission received that we charge at the rate of 10 per cent of the transaction value. There’s no cost towards creating a shop.
Who is your target clientele?
They span across multiple categories of creative expression. These include paintings, photography, drawing and iIlustration, sculpture, pottery, designer apparel, accessories and home decor. Creative expression isn’t one sided and we’re witnessing a trend of buyers seeking products that uniquely describe them. We believe that the demand of unique creations will grow rapidly especially with growth in mass affluence and discerning tastes.