Affordable Art in Singapore: Heartware Store, a gallery boutique Instagrammers love

A new wave of home-grown art and design stores is bringing creativity to everyday life. In this five-part series, speak to the founders behind these spaces on how they’re making art more accessible, engaging and alive.

“Good things can come from limitations”

Kinetic, an independent creative agency, has long been a driving force in Singapore’s design scene. Founded by 56-year-old Pann Lim in 2001, it became a home for like-minded creatives who shared his passion for storytelling through design.

Jonathan Gian and Astri Nursalim, both 36, joined the team in 2009 and 2012 respectively, and in 2024, the duo became partners at Kinetic. In 2025, the trio took their shared vision a step further by co-founding Heartware Store & Gallery.

Heartware Store began almost by chance – while searching for a new office, they found an old shophouse at 350B Joo Chiat Road and had to rent both levels or lose it to a pet hotel. They agreed and, seeing the potential of the upper floor, transformed it into the gallery and art-and-design shop they’d always dreamt of creating.

Their curation philosophy is simple – whoever or whatever they feature must “move their hearts”. “That’s the number one rule, and the inspiration behind the name Heartware,” say Jonathan and Astri.

The store carries everything from small, accessible items like stickers and postcards ($3-$40) to larger art prints and curated works ($80-$500 and above).

For them, accessible art is art that speaks to you – even if you can’t own it, if it stays with you, it’s already done its job.

We want the Heartware Store & Gallery to be a space where people can find inspiration – through the curated items we showcase and the gallery they can explore.

Our hope is that the pieces we source resonate with people, becoming part of their everyday lives – little things that spark joy and make their day just a bit brighter.

We’ve always believed that good things can come from limitations. When designing the shop, instead of doing a full renovation or buying expensive cabinets, we scrolled through Carousell every day. That’s when we came up with the idea of using stainless-steel shelving. Eventually, we stumbled upon a metal cabinet that once belonged to a kopitiam stall.

We also curate artworks from local designers and makers to feature in the store. During Tokyo-based illustrator Tess Smith-Roberts’ exhibition earlier this year, we “match-made” her with home-grown ceramics and woodwork makers Issho Labo, known for their beautiful 3-D printed lamps, to create a special edition butter lamp.

The challenge now is to keep our space fresh and inspiring, offering something new form every visitor. Our recent exhibition, Souvenirs by Dutch artist duo We Are Out Of Office, reimagines familiar everyday objects as colourful collectibles – from vibrant riso prints to playful sculptures and design pieces.

We already have exhibitions lined up with various artists through to the end of 2026. This month, we’ll be showcasing Janie Korn, a UK-based visual artist known for her whimsical wax sculptures, in a candle art exhibition. Then in January, we’ll be featuring Ikuiku Studio, an illustrator from Taiwan.

Heartware Store & Gallery is at 350B Joo Chiat Road.