KLAS PLUS Art Gallery is making a welcome return to their original base in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, after seven years.

After relocating to their second gallery in Jalan Utara, Petaling Jaya, KLAS chief executive officer Datuk Gary Thanasan felt it was time to go back to Bangsar after leasing the premises out for several years.

In an interview with StarMetro, Gary cited several reasons for the return to Bangsar, one of them being the lack of space to hold events such as auctions.

“Our Petaling Jaya art gallery had very limited space, which made it difficult to hold both auctions and private art sales at the same time.

“We only had one common space to host events,” he said.

“If there was an auction coming up, we would have to take down our artworks to prepare for it, and once the auction was settled, we would put the other works back up again.

“We also wanted to minimise any repositioning for our artworks, as a way to preserve them,” he added.

Gary also recalled the many art lovers visiting the gallery in Bangsar, but when KLAS moved to Petaling Jaya, they started coming less often.

“We wanted to be accessible to our clientele, making it convenient to come back to our Bangsar gallery because of its location,” he said.

The Bangsar art gallery is split into two floors, the ground floor dedicated to private art sales and the second floor is reserved for auctions.

“Currently on the ground floor alone, we have 117 artworks on display,” said Gary.

“Unlike at the Petaling Jaya gallery where we had to frequently rehang our paintings, they are now on display at all times ready for buyers to view,” he added.

The Bangsar art gallery is in the midst of redecoration that is expected to be completed by November.

However, Gary welcomes art lovers to visit in the meantime.

“It is a joy for me to see people come here and appreciate the art.

“Of course, not everyone will purchase a piece, but if they can enjoy the artwork just as I often find myself doing, then it is good enough for me,” he said.