Of sourcing and selling vintage art and following the calling of your dreams

Entry 00.3 - Featuring Kyla from Art Folks Gallery

Here we are, Thanksgiving come and gone already, the end of November rolling in with its crisp, cool air and dark evenings dotted with the very first of the Christmas lights. As a Canadian, my own Thanksgiving comes a little earlier in the year but come the end of November and I always find my heart filled with thanks for what has sprouted and grown and born fruit over the past twelve months.

This year, I am feeling especially thankful. Thankful for every single one of you I have had the great pleasure to meet - either directly or indirectly through Cottage Kicthen.Co. But also, I feel incredibly grateful for those designers, makers, collectors - jewels of people with a heart of gold and a magician’s heart and hands - I have met through Instagram. They are a constant source of inspiration and so over the next couple weeks, I will bring to you a few of these women and let them speak from their voice about their art and craft so that you, also, may find yourself inspired by their work.

This week, I have lent the stage to Kyla from Art Folks(@artfolks.gallery), a fast-growing, affordable vintage art gallery, primarily selling on Instagram where she sources and sells stunning, original oil paintings. I’ve been following Kyla since the very start of my own Instagram journey and thoroughly enjoy not only the art she shares there with us all, but also in following her very own journey on the path of the heart - it’s a courageous thing to do to follow that inkling of a curious interest and let it grow and blossom far beyond the container we might have ever imagined for it. Let this be your reminder to dream and to let yourself be changed by your dreams.

So without further ado, here I give it away to Kyla’s own voice…

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My recent collections have focused on land, sea and cityscapes from Danish and Swedish artists. I started Art Folks during lockdown. I was looking for a fresh start and a way to be more creative. I found myself spending a lot of time on Instagram (didn’t we all!) and my boyfriend at the time pointed out how many businesses had sprung up using Instagram as a sales and community building tool. I was immediately inspired.

Initially, I wanted to sell contemporary art from my native South Africa, but lockdown travel restrictions made it too difficult. So I did some digging into the vintage European art market, found some suppliers and within a few months made my first sale on Instagram. Everything happened via DMs – it was that easy.

My community of followers continues to grow and it’s all incredibly exciting and rewarding. I’ve now been in business for well over a year with and am getting more and more repeat business. It’s taken time to learn how to use the Instagram algorithm. You need to be willing to roll with their changes. And I’m starting to build a bigger network of suppliers and dealers, particularly in Scandi countries where I’ve made great connections in Denmark after a sourcing trip there.

I think what makes Art Folks popular with customers is that I only buy art that I would want in my own home. This is what keeps the quality high and customers happy. I continue to get great feedback from buyers and browsers, and this is what keeps me going.There is also a community of other dealers who all encourage each other. I’m really inspired by other women building businesses on Instagram.

Occasionally I talk to other vintage dealers who wonder whether technology is good for the trade, and I always answer “yes.” It helps us reach new customers and is a totally new way to sell. It’s also key for bringing in a new generation of younger buyers: we need to be where they are, and they’re all on social media. They are a great client base as they love things that are ‘preloved’ or things to do with ‘sustainability.’

Vintage art is beautiful and it’s great to see so many wonderful pieces getting a second life in a new forever home.

As my business has grown so has my own art collection. I love a classic still life, florals and landscapes. I’m drawn to Danish art as it’s a little quirky sometimes. I’m learning to love abstract more, but I also love vintage British school posters and have a few framed in my home.

If money were no object, I’d probably own a vintage Murano glass chandelier.

Kyla, from @artfolks.gallery