Conventionally, art collecting is a hobby that is typically enjoyed by the older and financially stable demographics. There are also some who view art collecting as an investment, which gives an impression that there is little to no heed to the art discourse itself. However, Lawangwangi Art Gallery is witnessing a rise of new art collectors from a younger demographic.

According to Lawangwangi Chief Director and founder Andonowati, this is partly the result of changes throughout the local art trade history after the art boom from 2006 until late 2009. During the art boom, art collecting was more of a short-term investment kind of thing. At the end of the era, she noticed that there was a change of structure in art collectors. 

“Clients who are attracted to the works of the artists in Lawangwangi are mostly highly educated and have experienced living abroad,” she said, adding that these young collectors are not extraordinarily wealthy. Some of them are “high-class professionals”, such as CEOs, directors and executives at unicorn start-ups or investment institutions. However, they do exhibit purchasing power that is nearly equal to the mainstream collectors, namely within the price range of Rp30 million-Rp600 million.

The young collectors also show more awareness of art. “They are aware that art is not only a part of the secondary market, but also has its own discourse,” Andonowati illustrated the market of her gallery. 

This demographic is more than happy to learn about the artists, the range of their works, as well as the artists' prospects in the future. Unlike mainstream collectors, this demographic appears to pay closer attention to the context discussed in the art pieces as well.

Among artists who attracted the young collectors are Lawangwangi’s exclusive artists, such as Eddy Susanto and Mujahidin Nurrahman. As for the works, the new and young art collectors prefer non-conventional pieces that are made using unique materials or methods besides oil or acrylic on canvas.