New Art Discovery Website KiguArt Launches
Explore the work of a different Bristol artist every day this month
A new concept in discovering Bristol artists has been created by two Bristol University engineering graduates. Borrowing the word Kigu – meaning an unusual encounter in the Japanese language, co-founders James Gilchrist and James Cook created KiguArt.
The website aims to bring audiences the chance to discover artists and artwork they might otherwise have missed.
Their first project is Bristol-based, with 31 Bristol artists working across different mediums in the city – and at different stages of their careers – being revealed each day throughout August.
The idea was kickstarted at the city’s popular BS4 Arts Trail, which sees artists living in the postcode throwing their doors open to their artwork as part of a trail.
Upon discovering how many artists were living in their area – and how few they were aware of – Gilchrist and Cook wanted a slower online experience that was less like a social media feed and more like the experience of walking into a gallery.
When looking at the day’s featured artwork, visitors are encouraged to take a slow breath in and out ahead of the art reveal.
“Instagram feels less and less like a place for discovery and more like a trap,” James Gilchrist says.
“I’ve installed an app that makes me take a breath before Instagram opens, then asks if I still want to go in. We stole that for KiguArt. It interrupts the usual thousand-mile-an-hour pace of the internet and gives people a moment to slow down and look with a more open mind.”
“Neither of us comes from the art world, but we wanted to build something that helps more people like us access it,” James Cook adds.
To find out more about KiguArt and see the daily art reveal, visit: https://kiguart.com
Featured Image: Alaric Hobbs, They Loved This Spot Sculpture, 2026
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