Eli Klein Gallery

Eli Klein Gallery Eli Klein Gallery has an international reputation as one of the foremost galleries specializing in contemporary Asian art.

Eli Klein Gallery has an international reputation as one of the foremost galleries specializing in contemporary Asian art and continues to advance the careers of its represented artists and hundreds of other Asian artists with whom it has collaborated. The Gallery has been instrumental in the loan of artworks by Asian artists to over 100 museum exhibitions throughout the world. It has published 40

books/catalogues and organized more than 75 exhibitions of Asian contemporary art at our prestigious venues in New York City. Eli Klein’s gallery artists have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Artforum, Newsweek, and ARTnews and have been on CNN and countless other international broadcasts, publications, and online critical reviews. Located at 398 West Street (between Charles and West 10th) in the trendiest part of the West Village, Eli Klein Gallery is just a few blocks from the new Whitney Museum and the commencement point for the High Line. In a landmarked Federal-style row house that enjoys special cultural, historical and aesthetic value to the City of New York, Eli Klein Gallery occupies 3 levels of the building, boasting 13-foot ceilings on the ground floor. The Gallery was founded by Eli Klein in 2007. During these formative years, it established a reputation for introducing fresh, contemporary, and often challenging works by rising Asian talents to the western audiences. Now, as the leading dealer of Asian contemporary art outside of China, Eli Klein actively promotes cross-cultural awareness and investment at the highest level amongst some of the world’s most influential nations. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KleinSunGallery

 is a Korean artist based in Brooklyn, NY. With an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute, Ch...
02/04/2025

is a Korean artist based in Brooklyn, NY. With an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute, Chung’s practice bridges analog mark-making and digital processes to craft narratives that span from everyday moments to fantastical epic tales. Her work inhabits a delicate equilibrium, flickering between the virtual and the physical, multiplicity and unity, and the representational and abstract.
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“I often find that in reality, truth and falsehood are often indistinct like Siamese twins with the same mannerisms, and intertwined.”
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Chung’s iterative process layers source materials from manga panels, design interfaces, and her previous works. By collaging and alternating between digital and physical methods, she creates compositions that bear traces of psychological, cultural, and social dimensions.
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Image: Judy Chung, Symbiosis (A More Imperfect Union), 2024. Acrylic on canvas. 50 x 70 inches (127 x 177.8 cm). Courtesy of the artist, Eli Klein Gallery and RAINRAIN.
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“Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” is on view at Eli Klein Gallery till February 22, 2025.
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 is a Hong Kong-born Korean painter and translator based in Jersey City, NJ. Graduating from M.F.A. Painting at Bard Col...
02/01/2025

is a Hong Kong-born Korean painter and translator based in Jersey City, NJ. Graduating from M.F.A. Painting at Bard College’s Milton Avery School of Art, her practice is rooted in exploring the fluid boundaries between text and image. Her works reflect the imperfect, shifting nature of translation, creating spaces where meaning is layered, fractured, and reimagined.
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“Naturally, my paintings prompt questions about the boundary where text ceases to be image and image ceases to be text. Drawing inspiration from abstract mark-making and calligraphy, I navigate the fine line where writing transcends semantics and becomes an abstract, illegible form.”
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Through her painting The One Who Fights is Thus the One Who Hasn’t Fought (2024), Kim projects, expands, collages, and layers text from Yi Sang’s Poem No. 3. She employs the grid as both a structure and a symbol—a tool for organization, a frame for emotion, and a surface for experimentation. Her dynamic process involves layering materials such as sumi ink and earth pigments, sanding surfaces, and reactivating textures, creating a balance between control and chance.
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Image: Jenny Jisun Kim, The One Who Fights is Thus the One Who Hasn’t Fought, 2024. Acrylic, earth pigments, gouache, graphite, sumi ink, and watercolor on linen. 60 x 47 inches (152.4 x 119.4 cm).
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“Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” is on view at Eli Klein Gallery till February 22, 2025.
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We wish you a Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧🧧🧧 🧨🧨🧨_Image: Quan Wenfei, Shuffling - Fireworks (detail), 2024. Oil and silkscreen...
01/28/2025

We wish you a Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧🧧🧧 🧨🧨🧨
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Image: Quan Wenfei, Shuffling - Fireworks (detail), 2024. Oil and silkscreen on canvas. 75 x 39 1/4 inches (191 x 100 cm).
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’s newest performance in Singapore is covered by . Read “Liu Bolin Will Premiere A 100-Person Disappearing Act for Singa...
01/18/2025

’s newest performance in Singapore is covered by . Read “Liu Bolin Will Premiere A 100-Person Disappearing Act for Singapore Art Week” via link in bio.
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“Liu Bolin’s camouflage art is something akin to a magic trick. By meticulously painting himself into various settings, the artist – known as “The Invisible Man” – challenges perceptions of visibility through his mind-bending self-portraits. For the occasion of Singapore Art Week, Liu will orchestrate his most ambitious project yet: transforming a 100-person ensemble into the country’s historic Clifford Pier.”
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Image: Liu Bolin, Hiding in Singapore - Chinatown Hawker Center, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist and Eli Klein Gallery © Liu Bolin
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 is a Seoul-born painter who is currently pursuing an MFA at Yale University School of Art’s graduate painting program. ...
01/16/2025

is a Seoul-born painter who is currently pursuing an MFA at Yale University School of Art’s graduate painting program.
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“My work is about the business of eating bodies and bodies being eaten.
I deal with what bodies (figuratively and literally) consume,
what bodies are consumed (this has been more central to my work),
what is produced by/excreted from the body,
and what is left inside to become the body.
And what all of that means.”
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“The Korean title of the painting, 귀접 (鬼接/Guijeop), translates to “spectrophilia” in English,
but more accurately, it means a (sexual) contact with ghosts. Initially, I believed this
phenomenon to be uniquely Korean, but I soon discovered that similar concepts have existed
across various cultures. In the West, there are stories of incubus and succubus, and during the
witch trials, suspects were often questioned about having sexual encounters with demons.

In traditional Korean culture, ghosts embody 한 (Han)—a deep sorrow, grief, anger, resentment, and pain. Han is an emotion tied to historical oppression and personal loss, and ghosts are a concentrated form of Han, manifesting from the unresolved grief, resentment, and pain of those who suffered in life. What does it mean, then, for someone to have an ecstatic, intimate, and even sexual encounter with one? Isn’t our own trauma, in its nature, a kind of ghost, haunting us relentlessly in our everyday lives? I created these paintings by ruminating on and imagining encounters with some of my own ghosts. I prefer the idea of fu***ng with trauma, rather than to attempt to exorcise it.”
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Image: Claire Chey, Guijeop #1, 2024. Oil on canvas. 48 1/8 x 66 1/8 inches (122 x 168 cm).
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“Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” is on view at Eli Klein Gallery till February 22 2025.
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Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Wonderful New Year!_Image: Liu Bolin, Israel Magazine Rack.
01/01/2025

Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Wonderful New Year!
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Image: Liu Bolin, Israel Magazine Rack.

 and Eli Klein Gallery highlighted on  Miami: Art Basel Rewind: Our favorite moments from Miami Art Week_
12/10/2024

and Eli Klein Gallery highlighted on Miami: Art Basel Rewind: Our favorite moments from Miami Art Week
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Liu Bolin is included in the exhibition “Naturae. Ambienti di Arte Contemporanea” now on view at the Museo Storico e Il ...
12/06/2024

Liu Bolin is included in the exhibition “Naturae. Ambienti di Arte Contemporanea” now on view at the Museo Storico e Il Parco del Castello di Miramare.
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Eli Klein Gallery and .z.cai were mentioned on ’s report today “At Miami Art Week, Asian Artists and Dealers Take Center...
12/04/2024

Eli Klein Gallery and .z.cai were mentioned on ’s report today “At Miami Art Week, Asian Artists and Dealers Take Center Stage.” It’s a pleasure to share these observations on the positive and healthy turn on Asian art with artnet’s expert Vivienne Chow.
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Visit us at Booth 416 at

 is a Korean painter based in Seoul and New York. Her paintings are honed in on the human body to the point of abstracti...
11/27/2024

is a Korean painter based in Seoul and New York. Her paintings are honed in on the human body to the point of abstraction, leaving the viewers to speculate which part of the body is shown. This magnification is a deliberate decision made to highlight how in human nature, we often resort to subconscious defense mechanisms that often leave physical evidence on our bodies.
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“I am especially interested in how hand gestures and other bodily postures can express unconscious defense mechanisms and moments of vulnerability, like legs marked with scratches or nails that have been chewed or picked. My visual representations of these wounds signify the intricacies and uncertainties of human emotions.”
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Image 1: Ahyun Jeon, Symbiosis, 2023. Watercolor, acrylic, and oil on canvas, 60 x 48 inches (152.4 x 121.9 cm)
Image 2: Ahyun Jeon, Detail of “Symbiosis”, 2023. Watercolor, acrylic, and oil on canvas, 60 x 48 inches (152.4 x 121.9 cm)
Image 3: Ahyun Jeon, Oh My 02, 2024. Watercolor, acrylic, and oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches (91.4 x 91.4 cm)
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“Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” is on view at Eli Klein Gallery till Jan 16 2024.
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Images: Courtesy of the artist and Eli Klein Gallery © Ahyun Jeon
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 is a Korean American painter based in Brooklyn, NY. Her background in growing up primarily in South Korea as a Korean A...
11/26/2024

is a Korean American painter based in Brooklyn, NY. Her background in growing up primarily in South Korea as a Korean American has inspired her to question instabilities of the everyday like memories, belongings, and the in betweenness. These small focuses that are too significant to overlook are often represented in her works, manifesting up close and personal with the viewers.
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“My sewn paintings explore themes of instability and imperfection. The overlapping layers mirror how life’s experiences merge, creating unexpected discoveries—much like finding forms in clouds. These imperfections highlight the unpredictable yet essential elements that shape our identities.”
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Image 1: Jean Oh, Pink Face, 2023. Acrylic on canvas, 44 x 40 inches (111.8 x 101.6 cm).
Image 2: Jean Oh, Sniff, 2023. Acrylic on sewn canvas, 46 x 38 inches (116.8 x 96.5 cm).
Image 3: Jean Oh, Detail of “Sniff”, 2023. Acrylic on sewn canvas, 46 x 38 inches (116.8 x 96.5 cm).
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“Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” is on view at Eli Klein Gallery till Jan 16 2025.
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Thank you everyone for joining us at the opening of “Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” 🎉🎉🎉
11/20/2024

Thank you everyone for joining us at the opening of “Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting” 🎉🎉🎉

Opening Tonight 6-8 pmTone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting
11/16/2024

Opening Tonight 6-8 pm
Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting

Eli Klein Gallery is thrilled to present “Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting.” Opening reception with...
11/11/2024

Eli Klein Gallery is thrilled to present “Tone Check: The Skins of Contemporary Korean Painting.” Opening reception with the artists: Saturday, November 16, 6-8pm
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Artists:
Claire Chey, Judy Chung, Ahyun Jeon, Jenny Jisun Kim, Jean Oh, Kai Oh, Yissho Oh, Youngmin Park, Jazoo Yang
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As skin works as a protective, discerning barrier for what is within, the artists have worked to open up that barrier to communicate and be vulnerable with the audience. This exhibition showcases 17 flat works, revealing the true colors of and under the skins corresponding to each painting, literally and metaphorically.
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Since the Dansaekhwa movement, Korean paintings have had a strong historical connection with the concept of “skins.” This notion has further developed in recent years, as what was initially perceived as a resemblance has now progressed into a more complex relationship. More artists are starting to resolve various conflicts—technical, psychological, social, and emotional—through flat, skin-esque surfaces. A canvas could now become a playground where complicated emotions and mixed feelings coexist and cohabit, much like the ever-changing definition of “Chaemyeon”(체면, directly translated as “face,” is how someone is perceived in society). The interchanging faces in this exhibition are made up of very distinct and personal mediums ranging from soil collected from traditional Korean houses to tattoo ink embedded in silicone to timeless painting mediums like acrylic & oil. This medley of earthly hues, intentional textures, and purposeful strokes opens up an inquisitive space where the audience is asked to assess the manner of what the skins of contemporary Korean paintings carry.
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This exhibition is curated by .z.cai and is accompanied by a critical essay by
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 ’s solo exhibition “Fish, Bird, and In Between: A Play in Three Acts” is opening soon at , curated by David Stuart Elli...
11/02/2024

’s solo exhibition “Fish, Bird, and In Between: A Play in Three Acts” is opening soon at , curated by David Stuart Elliott. The exhibition presents 3 large-scale installations by the artist Shen Shaomin from recent years in the form of a play with 3 distinct scenes, conveying the artist’s observations and reflections on the living environment and human impact on nature. The exhibition will open on November 4, 2024 and run through February 16, 2025.
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Images: Installation view, Shen Shaomin, Fish, Bird, and In Between: A Play in Three Acts. Courtesy of the artist and HOW Art Museum
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“At-Will Adaptation” featuring  .yang.studio  is reviewed by ***ngsterling on the . Read “Are You Alone Right Now?” via ...
10/30/2024

“At-Will Adaptation” featuring .yang.studio is reviewed by ***ngsterling on the . Read “Are You Alone Right Now?” via link in bio or the exhibition’s selected press section on our website.
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“Surely the root cause of a solitaire addiction can’t just be these captivating, cascading waves of cards that envelop the screen. However, there’s an underlying, nostalgic warmth conveyed by the celebratory cards. It sends a singular message: Let the cards swallow you whole.”
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“Yang Shuai’s (n+1) series examines her own body as a unit of measurement. She toys with the idea of setting herself as the human prototype, represented by “some god-like figure with their hands up … civilizing this connection between the human body to the sky to the ground.””
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“Yan’s Axial Domestication mirrors her project titled Sunday. Both evoke the theme of birth through natural materials and goopy, organic shapes. These pieces challenge each other through a corrugated narrative.”
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Quan Wenfei, the “internet archeologist,” inspects into the 90s Windows Games, arguably the first dopamine feeding machi...
10/15/2024

Quan Wenfei, the “internet archeologist,” inspects into the 90s Windows Games, arguably the first dopamine feeding machines. Wenfei freezes the winning moment which lasts only seconds in the game - fixating the imagery via a highly time-consuming and labor-intensive process of oil and silkscreen on canvas.
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Is “Click and win” a bait at the same time? Is euphoria permanently restorable?
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Quan Wenfei, Click and Win! Go, 2019. Oil and silkscreen on canvas. 78 x 118 1/8 inches (198 x 300 cm).
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Throughout the 2024 residency at the gallery,  extended her oeuvre from human and animal “domestication” to “domesticity...
10/12/2024

Throughout the 2024 residency at the gallery, extended her oeuvre from human and animal “domestication” to “domesticity.”
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What are chairs that cannot be seated on?
What if the embryos of human and animal (looking identical at initial stages) are used as hooks?
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Address

398 West Street
New York, NY
10014

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+12122554388

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Eli Klein Gallery has an international reputation as one of the foremost galleries specializing in contemporary Chinese art and continues to advance the careers of its represented artists and hundreds of other Chinese artists with whom it has collaborated. The Gallery has been instrumental in the loan of artwork by Chinese artists to over 100 museum exhibitions throughout the world, has published 40 books/catalogues, and has organized more than 75 exhibitions for Chinese art at our prestigious venues in New York City. Our artists have been featured in the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Art Forum, Newsweek, ARTnews and have been on CNN and countless other international broadcasts, publications and online critical reviews.

Located at 398 West Street (between Charles and W 10th) in the trendiest part of the West Village, just blocks from the new Whitney Museum and the commencement point for the High Line. In a historic, landmarked Federal-style row house enjoying special cultural and aesthetic value to the City of New York, Eli Klein Gallery occupies 3 levels of the building, boasting 13-foot ceilings on the ground floor.

The Gallery was founded by Eli Klein in 2007. During these formative years, it established a reputation for introducing to the West fresh, contemporary, and often challenging works by rising Chinese talents. Now, as the leading dealer of Chinese contemporary art outside of China, Eli Klein actively promotes cross-cultural awareness and investment at the highest level amongst some of the world’s most influential nations.

Follow us on Instagram: @EliKleinGallery Follow us on Twitter: @EliKleinGallery