SUNDAY STACKS: That is Surreal! (2 June)

This week I want to focus on Surrealism— a cultural and artistic movement that emerged during the 1920s and 1930s, primarily in Europe, as a reaction against the prevailing rationalism and the horrors of World War I. Surrealist artists strove to express the unconscious mind, often through dreamlike or illogical imagery, exploring the realm of the irrational and the unexpected. To this day, their influence continues to be profound and far-reaching.

This summer four standout shows on the Upper East Side connect art work across time and medium, offering an illuminating look at the psychological intensity, personal mythology, and fractured form that characterized Surrealism. Throughout these exhibitions, viewers are invited to consider how artists harness distortion and the unconscious to communicate something more raw and enduring than traditional realism ever could.

At Di Donna Galleries, The Surrealist Collage: Where Dreams and Reality Meet, works by Max Ernst, Joseph Cornell, and Meret Oppenheim, among others, showcase how collage was used to merge the rational and the subconscious. The show is both playful and disquieting, revealing how disjointed imagery can express the deeper truths of the human experience.

Just a few blocks away, on view at Gagosian (Madison Avenue) is Picasso: Tête-à-Tête focuses on the artist’s sculptural heads, echoing the psychological compression found in Di Donna’s collages. Here, faces are fragmented, rearranged, and reborn in clay and bronze—emphasizing identity as mutable and performative. This same push toward expressive distortion is evident at Hirschl & Adler Modern, where Franz Kline’s early works on paper expose a surprising surrealist side of the painter best known for abstraction. These seldom-seen drawings show a young artist grappling with form, language, and dream imagery before committing fully to the gesture and physicality to be mined in a brushstroke.

At Levy Gorvy Dayan, rising star Austyn Weiner’s first solo show in New York channels this lineage of artistic introspection into something boldly contemporary. Her large-scale canvases burst with emotional urgency and vivid color, collapsing personal experience into abstract, almost mythic forms. Like the Surrealists, Weiner mines the chaos of the interior world—but her approach feels defiantly current, mixing the painterly with the confessional.

I want to offer a bit of encouragement, or a gentle push to those who are not fans of Surrealism or abstraction—trust me—there is much to be seen and enjoy in these shows… and they are all within reasonable proximity. So take a leap of faith and have a look. I think you’ll be glad you did.

SUNDAY STACKS: A Month of Art and Design (11 May)

May is a pivotal month in the art and design world, marking the crescendo of the spring season before the slower-paced summer months. With major fairs, gallery walks, and design festivals converging in quick succession, the city has been pulsing with creativity and cultural energy. Institutions and galleries time their most ambitious programming for May, knowing that collectors, curators, and design aficionados are in town and eager to engage. As June approaches, the calendar begins to quiet down, with many galleries using the summer to regroup, plan fall exhibitions, or focus on private appointments—making May the last major moment before the seasonal slowdown. Here’s what we’ve seen and with only one week before Memorial Day where we suggest you focus your Spring energy.

This past Saturday the Madison Avenue Spring Gallery Walk transformed Manhattan's Upper East Side into a vibrant cultural corridor. Spanning East 57th to East 86th Streets, 46 galleries opened their doors for a day of free exhibitions and expert-led talks. Highlights included Onishi Gallery's "KOGEI and Art," showcasing contemporary Japanese craftsmanship across various mediums, and Thomsen Gallery's inaugural exhibition at their new location, featuring "Japanese Ceramics: Medieval to Contemporary". Attendees had the opportunity to engage directly with artists and curators, deepening their appreciation for the diverse artworks on display.

Concurrently, New York Design Week 2025, running from May 15–21, is captivating the city with a multitude of design-focused events. Anchored by the NYCxDESIGN festival, this year's theme, "Design is for Everyone", emphasizes inclusivity and innovation. Notable exhibitions include Faye Toogood's "Lucid Dreams" at The Future Perfect, featuring hand-painted furniture and sculptural lighting, and Kvadrat Febrik's debut of 100% recyclable fabrics by Note Design Studio. The week also marks the introduction of "Shelter," a new design fair and marketplace at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, spotlighting over 100 international creatives. With events spread across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, New York Design Week 2025 offers a dynamic exploration of contemporary design's role in society.

SUNDAY STACKS: Independent 2025 (11 May)

Independent 2025 marks 15 years since the gallerist, Elizabeth Dee designed and conceived of the art fair as a way to provide a ‘different spin’ on artists, galleries and public access to innovative, emerging art. Dee is now also the CEO of the Independent which has been held at Spring Studios since 2016. The carefully-curated selection of galleries which Dee hand-picks for this unique fair is the result of her advocacy for smaller galleries–in particular, those less focused on capitalistically-driven emerging art and artists. The Independent was a true highlight of this year’s New York Art Week. I spent an entire day in Tribeca at the fair and found it to be one of the best I’ve seen this week. 

Booths by Abattoir, Callirrhoë, Niru Ratnam, Harlesden High Street, The Meeting, and Kerry Schuss were standouts, resisting the more market-fluent aesthetics that often dominate large art fairs. Rather than emphasizing polished spectacle or trending conceptual motifs, these booths foreground process, identity, and lived experience—often through understated yet formally rigorous means. Each of the artists presented at these galleries leans into material honesty, and each gallery partners with their artists, taking curatorial risks that prioritize artistic integrity over quick appeal.

Michelle Grabner’s installation at Abattoir is a prime example. Her transformation of cleaning equipment and industrial forms into sculptural assemblages infuses overlooked materials with both reverence and critique. Similarly, Nicole Economides at Callirrhoë uses her Greek-American heritage not as backdrop but as infrastructure—incorporating literal support elements like cheese barrels and oil drums into her paintings, forging a dialogue between culture, commodity, and canvas that feels both grounded and conceptually daring.

In contrast to highly produced figurative painting or digital works seen elsewhere, the artists at Niru Ratnam and Harlesden High Street emphasize introspection and embodied experimentation. London-based artists Juliette Blightman and Laila Majid offer different but interwoven approaches to abstraction and identity—works that are emotionally charged yet formally restrained. Savannah Harris, meanwhile, presents large-scale tactile paintings that resonate with geological rhythms rather than social commentary, offering a rare, contemplative counterpoint to much of the politically overt or hyper-digital work seen throughout many fairs. The Meeting's solo show of Tod Lippy’s socio-political installation offered a contemplative lens on identity and division, while Mary Carlson’s ceramic, metal and wood wall installations at Kerry Schuss Gallery emphasized materiality and historical continuity, providing a sensory-rich experience rooted in tradition and nature.

Together, these galleries provide a quiet but resonant thread through Independent 2025, reminding viewers that emerging art can be rooted, poetic, and deeply human.

SUNDAY STACKS: Art Week New York 2025 (5 May)

New York City is abuzz with artistic energy as Art Week 2025 kicks off, transforming the city into a vibrant canvas of creativity. From May 5-May 13, art enthusiasts and collectors alike can immerse themselves in a plethora of exhibitions, fairs, and installations that showcase the dynamic and diverse art scene of the city. Whether you're a seasoned collector or a curious newcomer, Art Week 2025 offers a unique opportunity to experience the pulse of contemporary art in one of the world's cultural capitals. Remember that Art Week 2025 isn't just for seasoned collectors; it's also an excellent opportunity for new buyers to acquire high-quality, affordable art.

Fairs

  • TEFAF New York: Held at the historic Park Avenue Armory from May 9–13, TEFAF New York presents a curated selection of fine art, antiques, and design from leading galleries worldwide. TEFAF

  • The American Art Fair: Celebrating its 18th year, this fair runs from May 10–13 at the Bohemian National Hall, featuring American 18th–21st century artworks, including landscapes, portraits, and sculptures. The American Art Fair

  • The Other Art Fair Brooklyn: From May 8–11 at ZeroSpace in Brooklyn, this fair offers a platform for emerging artists to showcase and sell their work directly to the public offering original pieces at accessible price points, making it easier for enthusiasts to start or expand their collections. These artworks not only enrich personal spaces but also have the potential to appreciate in value over time. The Other Art Fair

  • Independent Art Fair: Taking place May 8–11, this fair features a diverse range of contemporary art from innovative galleries and artists, providing a fresh perspective on the art market. independenthq.com

  • Frieze New York: Set to electrify the city's art scene from May 7–11, head to Frieze at The Shed in Hudson Yards. This year's edition brings together over 65 leading galleries from more than 25 countries, offering a curated blend of established icons and bold emerging voices. Frieze NY 2025

Tribeca Gallery Night

This Friday, May 9th from 6–8 PM for Tribeca Gallery Night, one of the city’s most vibrant evenings of art and community. Over 70 galleries and art spaces will open their doors to celebrate the creativity and energy that make this neighborhood so unique. Whether you're a longtime collector or just curious to explore, it's a perfect chance to discover new exhibitions, meet artists, and connect with the people who shape Tribeca’s dynamic art scene.

SUNDAY STACKS: Landscapes of Solitude, Memory and Resilience (27 April)

Three standout New York exhibitions explore memory, introspection, and the passage of time with striking sensitivity. Together, these exhibitions offer a moving meditation on how artists today map invisible emotional and historical terrains — transforming personal experience into spaces for collective reflection. Coming from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds — Yu Nishimura (David Zwirner) from suburban Japan, Helena Foster (Kasmin Gallery **closes 3 May) from Britain’s pastoral tradition, and Rashid Johnson (Guggenheim Museum) from the African American experience — each artist brings a distinct voice to questions of identity, loss, and resilience.

Nishimura’s paintings dissolve into soft, misted suburban environments, where figures seem caught between presence and absence. Foster’s finely layered works on linen and vellum evoke the delicate accumulation of ancestral memory, drawing inspiration from ancient art forms and natural cycles. Johnson’s towering installations, rich with materials like black soap, shea butter, and mirrors, create dense psychological spaces that reflect both personal vulnerability and broader cultural histories.

  • London-based painter Helena Foster presents her first New York solo exhibition, featuring oil paintings on linen, paper, and vellum. Her work lyrically accumulates cultural and generational wisdom, evoking a sense of ancestral memory and introspection.

  • Rashid Johnson’s expansive solo exhibition fills the Guggenheim's rotunda with over 90 works spanning three decades. His multidisciplinary approach explores Black identity, masculinity, and emotional vulnerability, employing materials like black soap and mirrors to evoke themes of anxiety and self-reflection.

  • Yu Nishimura employs traditional oil and tempera techniques, drawing inspiration from postwar Japanese photography, anime, and everyday urban and natural landscapes. His works often depict solitary figures in dreamlike, semi-blurred environments, exploring themes of memory and temporality. This marks his first solo show in the United States.

SUNDAY STACKS: Three Galleries, Four Exhibitions (20 April)

Must-see shows at Lehmann Maupin , Grimm Gallery and Ortuzar help us reflect on how the spaces around us—whether they’re natural, private, or shared—connect to memory, identity, and belonging. Through painting, photography, and sculpture, each artist’s unique style explores how personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and everyday environments shape who we are.

Together, these artists highlight the power of the familiar—spaces and gestures we often take for granted—and show how they can be reimagined as sites of introspection, dignity, and quiet resistance. They invite us to pause, observe, and maybe see the familiar in a new way. (*all shows close in May)

  • Takako Yamaguchi creates richly detailed paintings that mix influences from Japan and Western art, reminding us that beauty and meaning often come from blending different traditions.

  • Caroline Walker paints scenes of women at work or at rest in places like salons or home kitchens, giving quiet moments the attention they deserve.

  • Catherine Opie uses photography to capture both wide-open landscapes and quiet indoor scenes that reflect deep feelings about identity, community, and solitude.

  • Kim Yun Shin makes sculptures that look like they’ve been gently taken apart and put back together—offering a metaphor for how we rebuild ourselves over time.