They have gone up in value by 650 per cent in just six months, and yet, they are still within the budgets of even the smallest art collectors!
Serigraph prints are limited runs of reproduced art specifically hand-printed with the artist's permission. And that's precisely why these works of art are so collectable.
Art enthusiast and businessman Lavesh Jagasia has opened Dubai's first online art gallery specialising in serigraphs — www.serigraphstudio.com — for the city's art buyers. Jagasia, based in Bur Dubai, says, "It takes over a year to create a virtual art market for viewers and buyers alike. The original works are highly priced — $50,000 (Dh183,500) or more. So, with an initial price tag of $1,000 (Dh3,670), serigraph prints of the original versions are highly lucrative."
The art of serigraphs involves putting set colours across a polyester stencil and building up the layers of colours to reach the final precise sharp image of the original. The process has a history behind it: The word serigraph literally means ‘to draw through silk.' In Latin, ‘seri' means ‘silk' and in Greek ‘graphos' means ‘to draw.' Originally, the process was done using stencil banana leaves in India. Then silk was used, which was replaced by polyester fabrics.
Hence, with a growing interest in internal design and a property market that's sure to boom in the next 20 years, Dubai households may go for some sound investments with these fine art forms.
Jason Rushworth is a Dubai-based writer
AT A GLANCE
The word serigraph literally means ‘to draw through silk.' In Latin, ‘seri' means ‘silk' and in Greek ‘graphos' means ‘to draw.' Originally, the process was done using stencil banana leaves in India. Then silk was used, which was replaced by polyester fabrics that may be used up to 1,000 times.
