Why this 19 Y/O poured her life savings into opening Singapore’s 1st horror art jamming studio

They say everyone needs a safe space to release any pent-up frustrations, and one common avenue people turn to is art.

For 19-year-old Merida Lim, founder of SCURO, she sought solace from art, specifically horror art, since she was a teenager—despite not being a horror fan.

What drew me to horror art is wanting the ability to reflect the horror in my own life, like my anxiety in school and family life. Whenever I had breakdowns, I found that creating art and giving it a space to exist helped me process through it better.

I’m not a fan of jump scares or having nightmares after watching a horror movie, though.

This was when she thought of giving others who had similar troubles a safe space, which led her to start Singapore’s only horror art jamming studio—SCURO.

Started as a pop-up

Horror is such a niche scene in Singapore—is there even a demand for it?

This was also a concern for Merida, which led her to start a pop-up studio at MurcyArt Gallery at Pasir Ris to test the demand.

The studio’s concept excited many, especially the local alternative community and those looking for a space to “explore their darker sides”. On the weekends, it almost achieved full bookings.

Merida shared that she invested S$800 as her startup capital, which was used to pay for the studio’s hourly rental and purchase art supplies. She also admitted that the profit margins were low after factoring these costs.

Nonetheless, the pop-up allowed her to refine the studio’s concept, and the receptiveness of Singaporeans gave her the courage to open a permanent studio in October—coinciding with Halloween.

However, that also meant higher rentals and having enough traction to sustain it. To secure her unit at Outram Park, Merida said she invested S$28,000, of which S$10,000 came from her personal savings, and her parents contributed S$18,000.

Marketing her studio’s concept was also a significant hurdle, as most tend to deviate from it. “For example, if I put vouchers at a shop, it takes a while for them to explain what horror art jamming is about. People have to see it for themselves to want to come,” lamented Merida.

So, that’s precisely what I did—I booked a horror art jamming session to discover what it was all about.

My experience at the “scary” art jamming studio

Now, I’d like to preface that I’m not the biggest horror fan and that this was my first art jam. Essentially, I am a blank canvas here.

I chose the soft guided horror art jam on a Saturday afternoon, which cost S$48 per person. I also paid S$15 for a “blood bag” (calm down, it’s just hibiscus tea) and a photoshoot.

As it was a soft-guided session, I had an art guidance teacher who helped me whenever I got stumped. Being a novice in painting and sketching, it felt comforting to receive her assurance, and it personally made me more proud of my finished product.

Different rock songs, from mainstream pop rock to Screamo, were played during the session. While I don’t listen to these songs regularly as I often find them distracting, ironically, they helped me focus on my painting.

Long story short, the atmosphere made me momentarily forget potential concerns, and I felt comfortable letting go of any inner frustrations. As I drew one of my personal fears out, it felt liberating when I stepped out of my studio with my painting.

Decided to pivot the business one week after opening

Since opening her studio, SCURO has formed a fanbase in Singapore, with their most viral TikTok video garnering 55,000 views at the time of writing.

However, despite the support she received, Merida knew that solely offering horror art jams was “not sustainable” in the long run.

I think I had this doubt for a while now, deep in my heart I knew I was starting my studio on unstable ground. I’m not super rich that I can spend a lot on marketing and time to convince people to try out my horror art jams, and it’s an unproven market too.

The trigger was looking at my bank account after my launch and the number of bookings and realising—yes, we have a very dedicated fan base but it’s not enough. I should make use of the resources I have and cater to a wider audience.

As of now, survival is Merida’s top priority for SCURO. Hence, she launched “Wonderland” and “Candlelight,” SCURO’s fantasy-themed art jams targeted at corporations and couples, respectively.

The studio is also collaborating with BlackLight Tribe, a rave party organiser that supports dark alternative creatives and community in Singapore, to offer neon art jams starting next week.

Ultimately, she shared that she wants SCURO to be a place for others to express their emotions through art.

That said, Merida clarified that she will continue offering horror art jams and stated that it will “always be a part of SCURO”, just not the main thing. “I want to explore different art jamming [formats] and see what works!”

To be honest, I’m still learning. I’m young, and I’ve made many mistakes. But I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come.

I want people who come into SCURO to feel at home—that’s why I make them take off their shoes at the door and greet each of them like a dear friend. It’s a place of respite, for expressing oneself freely and feeling at ease. 

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Featured Image Credit: SCURO