ArtSelect

The challenge

ArtSelect is a curated platform for original art: a showcase of rare works by contemporary artists. A curated gallery lives on its selection. Offline, that comes through in the space, the light and the hanging. Online, galleries like this often have no proper showcase at all, just scattered posts in social media and messengers. Buyers have nowhere to look at a work closely, learn about the artist and buy it in one go.

Original art sells by different rules. Many works are one of a kind or come in small editions, and context matters: the artist, the technique, the size, the story. A typical online store with endless product tiles cheapens the work. The site had to balance a space for looking at art with a working sales tool, where the cart and checkout don't break the gallery feel. Without a catalog and checkout, every sale went into back-and-forth messages.

What I built

I built the site on WordPress with WooCommerce and a custom theme in PHP and JavaScript. WooCommerce handles the catalog, cart and checkout, set up for single works and the details that matter when buying art. The custom theme carries the gallery style through every page: space around each work, restrained typography and one visual language across the home page, catalog, work pages and artist pages.

The gallery runs the site on its own: the curator adds works and artists, updates descriptions, prices and availability, and sold pieces leave the catalog without a developer. The project took one month from start to launch.

Key features

• Home page showcase — large images of selected works and artist names that lead visitors into the catalog and artist pages.
• Filtered catalog — filter works by artist, technique, format and other details, so buyers narrow the choice to their taste and interior.
• Artwork page — large photos with detail viewing, plus artist, technique, size and description, and one-click add to cart.
• Artist pages — a page for each artist with their story and all their works on the platform.
• Cart and checkout — a short WooCommerce checkout made for single purchases, so the sale happens on the site.
• Gallery content management — the curator manages works, artists, prices and stock from the WordPress and WooCommerce admin.
• Responsive gallery design — the same spacious look on desktop and phone, without cramped thumbnails.