A gem among art lovers and professional artists, art supplies and stationery shop Venus Art is closing for good. We dropped in to find out why.
The father and son laughed when they were asked if they considered their homegrown company an institution after having been in business for almost five decades.
“No way, we’re not an institution, for us it is business as usual,” says Yap Chin Fatt, founder of Venus Art.
The 84-year-old smiled when we told him that many people perceived Venus Art as one of the pioneers of innovative art techniques and inventions for the batik industry, as well as being a well-stocked supplier for art materials.
But, come May this year, it won’t be business as usual for Yap and his family as Venus Art and Stationery Sdn Bhd closes for good.
The family made that difficult decision some time last year, and Yap’s eldest son Kelly tells us that, “It was difficult, but what to do, it is the way it is.”
We asked Kelly how long he had been working alongside his father Chin Fatt to run the shop; “A long time, I was dragged into the family business,” the 54-year-old says jokingly.
But on a serious note Kelly says it was expected of him and his two younger siblings – a brother and sister – to help their parents manage and run in what he described as a “Pop and Mom business.”
How did it all begin, we asked them. It started with Chin Fatt’s love of art that led him to think of ways to run his own business. He set up Venus Art in 1969.
“I was a top scorer in art, and thought there was opportunity here to supply materials to art students and even professionals,” says this ex-student of St John’s Institution.
Venus Art was considered one of the only art suppliers in the 1970s, so that was where it had advantage over its rivals. At that time, customers included advertising agencies and artists who were after paint, canvas or sketch books.
He had built the business from scratch, having to rent space a few doors down from their present location at no. 90. And in the late 1990s, Chin Fatt decided to buy the current shoplot. Today, the shopfront is hidden by rows of stalls selling knick-knacks and counterfeit goods along Petaling Street.
But, cost pressures, among other reasons, is why the Yap family is shutting up. Rental, utilities and cost of labour have risen over the last few months. The ringgit has also weakened against the US dollar which drove business costs up, adding pressure on their income.
With various price hikes and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, the business was not about to pass all the hikes to their customers.
“If you do that, then who is going to buy from your shop?” asked Kelly.
The overhead costs for any shopowner in Petaling Street is high. Chin Fatt and family own the building they operate in, but for others who have to rent, they may have to pay up to RM30,000 a month just for rent.
Chin Fatt was also contemplating retirement, so it was time to move on. “My plans after May is to go fishing, relax and enjoy my leisure time.” He intends to spend more time with his seven grandchildren.
Venus Art has created a dozen art products that is used widely in national and international schools, as well as the textile industry. Their own brand Venus Art, as well as Fairbro and Fairbreno are popular and have endured the test of time.
“Even the late Datin Seri Endon (Mahmood), was keen on our art products for her work in the batik industry,” he says.
The family created a quick drying and cold wax liquid that can be used for batik drawings, saving time and avoiding the messy process of melting wax. Traditionally wax had to be melted to draw batik patterns, not to mention the time consuming processes of waiting for the wax to dry before the pattern can be painted.
The Yaps are proud of their inventions, showing us newspaper clippings and photographs of art competitions, exhibitions and showcases that uses Venus Art’s creations.
Their contribution to the art supply sector was also recognised by UK art company, Winsor and Newton, which as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations awarded Venus Art a plaque to recognise their achievements in 1982.
Kelly says they are expanding to other markets, having entered the Indonesian and Singaporean markets. Next up is Thailand.
“We also know that it will come to a point when going online will be the next step, and that’s what we’re transitioning to,” he adds. The Yaps own a manufacturing facility called Colorama Industries Sdn Bhd where they roll out art materials and paints.
He says the family decided to run the closing down sale from November last year, but response was slow. “The minute it was advertised on Facebook, we have had so many customers,” he says, proving the point that customers were now mostly online.
We asked Chin Fatt how he felt when the shop finally closes, he says he will feel relieved. “At the moment, I feel I am reliving the good days,” he says, as more customers queue up to buy supplies at the shop.
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