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Founded in 2015, by Amar A. Zahr and Nathalie Ackawi, the Beirut Art Residency is dedicated to supporting the production and dissemination of contemporary art. The program focuses on three main facets; residencies, local exhibitions and public interventions. BAR provides both emerging and mid-career artists with the time and space to work, encouraging artists to venture beyond their usual practice while laying the groundwork for future projects. BAR’s exhibition and public intervention programs enhance the approachability and dissemination of contemporary art. The work BAR presents is often experimental in nature, allowing artists to take a more conceptual approach with their practice. Ultimately, BAR’s activities strive to provide insight on the culturally rich Lebanese climate whilst creating a global network of meaningfully engaged artists.

Beirut Art Residency

Dan Nguyen is a New York-based physician, entrepreneur, and avid collector of contemporary art with a particular focus on artists of Asian descent and hands-on expertise in NFTs. As the co-founder of The Here and There Collective, his mission is to make space for narratives often overlooked in the Western art canon, through a programming focused on Asian diaspora artists, curators, and collectors.

Dan Nguyen

<div dir="ltr">The founder of renowned Instagram account She Curates (@she_curates_), Mollie E Barnes is an Independent Curator based in the UK, with a particular interest in the works of women and queer artists.</div>
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Mollie E Barnes

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Curator's Picks

$1,000 and under

$1,000-$2,000

$2,000-$5,000

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Untitled (Yerevan)

Granfiniland

Was. Pink

Was. Pink.

Angry Girl

Untitled

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The newcube artist residency in St-Martin-le-Gaillard. Courtesy of newcube & moulin Zavieh

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As part of the newcube’s sought after artist residency in Normandy, we brought together artist Ryan Wilde and gallerist Brigitte Mulholland for a “river-side” chat. Both are shaping thoughtful, materially driven practices, one as a multidisciplinary artist, the other as a gallerist. What follows is an open conversation between the artist, her longtime collaborator, gallerist and friend, and newcube’s founder on their respective creative evolution, working with care, building a life in and around art and the newcube residency in St-Martin-le-Gaillard this summer. 
newcube: Ryan, we’re so excited to host you for this year’s newcube art residency in Normandy. You have just arrived and you will be spending a few weeks in the old mill, in the small village of St-Martin-le-Gaillard. As we start this chat, can you tell us a bit about your artistic journey and how you arrived at your current practice?
Ryan Wilde: Thank you newcube, I’m also so excited to be here. Over the course of my career, my journey has taken several unexpected turns. I began as a ballet dancer, training at the School of American Ballet, but a career-ending injury forced me to pivot. I studied fine art photography in college, where I became fascinated with visual storytelling through the body and costume. This led me to millinery, where I found a tactile, sculptural language that combined craftsmanship, theatricality, and identity. For over a decade, I worked as a milliner, creating hats for fashion houses, celebrities, and opera productions. But over time, I grew disillusioned with the fashion industry’s commercial pressures. I wanted to slow down, ask harder questions, and explore the deeper psychological and cultural meanings embedded in adornment. My current work repurposes millinery techniques and materials into sculptural forms that interrogate gender, labor, and the politics of visibility, drawing from both personal history and theoretical research.
newcube: Brigitte, how about you? How did you get started in the art world? What was your path to becoming a gallerist?
Brigitte Mulholland: I did a few internships while I was in college, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had originally thought I would do a PhD and get married after undergrad, but thankfully came to my senses a few months before graduating and put an end to both of those plans. I moved to Brooklyn with some friends and a few hundred dollars in my bank account, and just applied to all of the entry-level art world jobs on NYFA. I ended up getting a job at a small secondary market gallery on the Upper East Side, where I started moving up the ranks and learning a ton. I stayed there for about seven years, ultimately becoming Director.
newcube: you moved to Paris about a year ago, how did you end up moving to France and opening your gallery?
Brigitte Mulholland: I loved my time in New York and never thought I would leave, especially after the pandemic and being surrounded by such a great community of friends and artists, like Ryan. But Paris has always really had my heart. When I did my first visa application, I counted all of my passport stamps and saw I had been to France 45 times between 2008 and 2024. It had always seemed like a pipedream, but something shifted. I realized I missed Paris when I was in New York &#8211; and didn’t miss New York as much when I was in Paris. I was at a personal and professional crossroads. During one session with my therapist at the time, she asked me what I would do if I had all the money in the world. I said, “Open a gallery in Paris.” She paused and said, “Well then, why don’t you just do that?”
I found the gallery space in a very serendipitous way as I was walking past a storefront on rue de Turenne. The agent showed me an off-market space he was vacating, and when I walked in, I saw that the exterior was the same shade of turquoise I had used to paint my house. My best friend Sean Fader (who might join Ryan a few days at the residency) was with me and found a photograph of Mulholland Drive hanging on the wall. That sealed it. I told the agent I’d take it.

Brigitte Mulholland, the gallery facade on rue de Turenne in Paris. Courtesy of Brigitte Mulholland & Sean Fader. 

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newcube: That really sounds like it was meant to be! And I absolutely love the energy there is in that space! Ryan, back to you, what drew you to themes like theatricality, gender, and the symbolic weight of clothing?
Ryan Wilde: I’ve always been aware of how clothing shapes perception, how it can protect, seduce, conceal, or expose. Having grown up surrounded by performance and illustration (my father was an artist for Playboy), I understood early on how women’s bodies were often stylized, exaggerated, and commodified. Theatricality and fetishization aren’t just surface-level; they&#8217;re tools of power, control, and sometimes survival. I’m interested in the tension between autonomy and objectification, and how clothing becomes a site where that tension is negotiated. I’m also fascinated by how identity is performed and consumed, how a nurse’s uniform, a bunny suit, or a veil can communicate entire histories or ideologies.
newcube: Brigitte, you’ve said that seeing Ryan’s witch works sparked a kind of urgency. Can you speak more to that?
Brigitte Mulholland: In a lot of ways, I accelerated the timeline for opening my gallery because I saw the work Ryan was making about witches, and would have been insanely jealous if any other gallery got to show it. A lot of the artists I work with are people I’ve wanted to work with for years &#8211; and now that I’m the boss and make those decisions, we do. It’s a lot of fun. In addition to how lucky I have been to know and meet all of these amazing artists over the years including Ryan, my process for the roster and curation of the gallery is quite intuitive, especially after so many years of experience &#8211; a lot of it is just seeing something that grabs me, and knowing that I want to show it. I do have a tendency to work with women and queer artists, as that is just the work that resonates with me the most, and they’re also the people I generally want to spend the most time with.
newcube: Ryan, how would you say your background in millinery has shaped your current approach?
Ryan Wilde: Millinery gave me a deep respect for process, precision, and material intelligence. It taught me how to shape form from tension, steam, wire, felt, buckram, and binding: all methods of coaxing something soft into something structural. I still use these materials and tools, but I like to recontextualize them to tell different kinds of stories. The head remains central in my work because it’s both intimate and public, a site of identity and spectacle.

The Artist Ryan Wilde. Courtesy of the Artist. 

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newcube: What made you interested in applying to the newcube artist residency in Normandy?
Ryan Wilde: I was drawn to newcube’s residency for its rare combination of quietude and conceptual openness. The rural setting offers the kind of stillness that’s difficult to access in city life, especially as someone navigating both artistic production and daily survival in New York and Paris. I’m excited by the opportunity to slow down, step outside the demands of deadlines and exhibitions, and enter a space that encourages material experimentation and sustained thinking. I also was drawn to the residency focusing on family, and I wanted to attend with my extended family and friends which is rare &#8211; or impossible &#8211; in any other residency program. 
newcube: Are there specific projects you will be focusing on during the residency?
Ryan Wilde: I’ve been writing a book for the past year that weaves together personal narrative, feminist theory, and the cultural history of clothing. At St-Martin-le-Gaillard, I’m excited to finally consider the book not only as a text, but as an object. I plan to begin exploring ideas for its physical structure, including small-scale wood carving, hand-stitched elements, and embroidered pages or covers. 
 
newcube: How does this quieter environment impact your work?
Ryan Wilde: A rural setting allows me to recalibrate my pace and attention. My work often involves intricate, time-intensive techniques, such as embroidery, hand carving, and book-making, that require stillness and deep focus. In a natural environment, I’m less distracted by the demands of visibility and productivity that dominate urban life. The physical quiet and spatial openness make room for conceptual clarity.
Being in the countryside also shifts how I relate to scale, encouraging me to think more intimately, more slowly, and with greater care toward material. It offers a space where thinking and making can converge organically, and where small gestures, like a stitch or a carved line, can feel expansive rather than peripheral.

Ryan Wilde at the newcube artist residency in St-Martin-le-Gaillard, July 2025. Courtesy of the artist & newcube

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newcube: Brigitte, as a gallerist who has supported artists throughout their careers, what advice would you give to emerging and mid-career artists?
Brigitte Mulholland: You have way more power and agency than you think. Galleries don’t exist without artists &#8211; don’t ever forget that. Trust your instincts, and don’t let insecurity guide your decisions. And most importantly: there’s not a single artist in history who’s only ever gone up. Look at the long game. Keep your studio practice sacred. Know who you are and protect that through the ups and downs. 
 
newcube: And for those considering opening a gallery? 
 
Brigitte Mulholland: You have to really want to do it. It’s hard &#8211; of course it’s hard &#8211; but if you really want it, absolutely do it, and enjoy it for everything that it is. I knew I was opening in a down market, and pushed ahead because of it. Galleries that start in tough times often last the longest, because you learn to adapt. There are ups and downs, but if you’re doing it because you love it, that’s the only reason that really matters.
newcube: There’s a sense of rebirth in the French art scene these days, many galleries have opened spaces, auction houses have expanded their team in Paris, collectors pick Paris over London (or even Basel) during fair season, the Parisian art scene seems to be thriving. Have you felt a shift in any way?
Brigitte Mulholland: Absolutely. After so many years of coming to Paris, the city feels palpably different in the past few years, especially the art scene. I think Brexit really changed it as well, and a lot of galleries opened outposts here as a result. Art Basel coming in has also taken the city’s position in the art world to a new level. There are a lot of French galleries &#8211; blue chip, established, and even younger ones, who are extremely successful and interesting and have an important voice in the international art world. It’s truly becoming a major player, and also people just love coming to Paris &#8211; now that there is a real art scene here, it’s another wonderful reason to visit.
newcube: How do you feel the French market is different from or similar to the American market? 
Brigitte Mulholland: In general the market is an international one, and there is still a lot of outreach done over email and social media. In terms of foot traffic, it is nothing like it is in New York &#8211; a fraction of the day-to-day numbers &#8211; but I really like that about the market. There isn’t as much of a frenzy, and the quality of life is slower and nicer. French collectors are extremely thoughtful, and they take their time, which I really love. I have a number of collectors here already, and have met some really amazing new ones as well. They all take their time, love to spend time, and I have incredible conversations with them.

Sarah Dwyer exhibition at Brigitte Mulholland, Paris, 2025. Copyright of Brigitte Mulholland & Sean Fader. 

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Sarah Dwyer Slugger

newcube: Back to you now Ryan, when you are in your studio, what’s a typical day of work like? 
Ryan Wilde: My studio days are loosely structured. I usually begin by writing, sometimes refining ideas for works in progress, sometimes just observing how I’m thinking. From there, I move between handwork and sketching: steaming felt, shaping buckram, carving wooden forms, or playing with new material. These repetitive gestures help clarify the larger conceptual structure of a piece. I often work in silence, listening helps me think through rhythm and tone. I like having multiple entry points into a workday: physical labor, critical thought, and tactile response.
newcube: you will certainly have a lot of silence at the residency (if the rooster allows!). How do research and historical references play a role in your making?
Ryan Wilde: That rooster is mad!!! But we&#8217;re so happy to be here. Jokes aside, research is really integral to my process. I’m constantly pulling from historical texts, medical illustrations, fashion ephemera, feminist theory, and archival imagery. As Brigitte briefly mentioned early, my work often responds to historical garments or roles, like nurses, witches, or performers, whose identities were shaped or obscured through clothing. I don’t aim for historical accuracy, but rather emotional or symbolic resonance. Research helps me excavate visual and ideological codes embedded in materials and forms. It gives depth to the surface and allows the past to quietly haunt the present in the work.
newcube: Who or what are some key influences on your work right now?
Ryan Wilde: Lately I’ve been deeply influenced by time spent in archival and museum spaces like the Morgan Library, the Frick Collection, and the New York Public Library’s special collections. I find myself drawn to objects that weren’t originally framed as art, hand-bound books, devotional textiles, ornamental tools, especially those made by women whose work was historically dismissed as domestic, decorative, or anonymous. These fragments carry not just aesthetic weight, but evidence of lived attention, of care and constraint in equal measure. I’m interested in how those gestures persist, quietly, across centuries.
newcube: Are there any texts, films, or visual references that have recently inspired you over the years? 
Ryan Wilde: I’ve been reading and re-reading texts by and about women who made things in isolation or under erasure, craft artists, nuns, embroiderers, women who made books with no intention of publishing. The material and conceptual intimacy in those objects moves me. I’m also inspired by artists like Jamie Kamph, Leonora Carrington, and Louise Bourgeois, who collapsed boundaries between writing, weaving, painting, and sculpture. Visually, I’ve been studying early manuscripts and medieval costumes, not necessarily for historical accuracy but for the way those forms telegraph meaning through silhouette, pressure, and repetition. I’m interested in what we inherit, visually, materially, symbolically, whether we recognize it or not.
newcube: Looking Ahead, are you two working towards a collaboration? 
Ryan Wilde: Yes, I’ll be doing a smaller solo presentation with Brigitte Mulholland next year, which I’m really excited about. Brigitte has been an incredible champion of artists working across disciplines, and our conversations always push the work conceptually. I’m also participating in a few other exhibitions that take a more playful approach; exploring costume, character, and narrative through sculpture and installation. I’m interested in showing work that blurs the line between object and persona, especially as it relates to clothing and constructed identity.
This residency will allow me to think and work in ways that are slower, more tactile, and materially experimental, something difficult to do amid the logistics of preparing for shows. I’m hoping to use this time to deepen the conceptual structure of my book project and to explore new formats, like embroidered pages and carved covers. I also see this as a chance to develop smaller sculptural works and studies that might inform future large-scale pieces. Ideally, what begins at St-Martin-le-Gaillard becomes the quiet foundation for much more public work in the coming year, work that’s been metabolized, not rushed.
newcube: Well, we cannot wait to see the result of these few weeks! Let’s end with a few quick questions. 
A material you can’t live without? 
Ryan Wilde: felt
newcube: An artist you’d love to share a studio with? 
Ryan Wilde: Nick Cave lol 
newcube: One word to describe how you’re approaching this residency? 
Ryan Wilde: Enthusiastically 
newcube: Thank you to both of you! It&#8217;s such a pleasure working alongside such wonderful women in the art world. We truly believe the best comes out of collaboration between people in the art world and we’re really so proud and excited to partner with you both this summer. We very much look forward to seeing&#8217;s what&#8217;s ahead and how this residency program will impact all of us. Ryan, enjoy your time at the residency and see you both soon!

Ryan Wilde, De Lamiis et Indumentis Diaboli, at Brigitte Mulholland. Courtesy of the artist, Brigitte Mulholland & Sean Fader. 

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Ryan Wilde De Lamiis et Indumentis Diaboli

As part of the newcube’s sought after artist residency in Normandy, we brought together artist Ryan Wilde and gallerist Brigitte Mulholland for a “river-side” chat. Both are shaping thoughtful, materially driven practices, one as a multidisciplinary artist, the other as a gallerist. What follows is an open conversation between the artist, her longtime collaborator, gallerist and friend, and newcube’s founder on their respective creative evolution, working with care, building a life in and around art and the newcube residency in St-Martin-le-Gaillard this summer. 

In Conversation at newcube's art residency: Ryan Wilde, Brigitte Mulholland & Bibi Zavieh

In Conversation: Ryan Wilde, Brigitte Mulholland & Bibi Zavieh

Collector Michael Wiener at the ICA in Miami, 2025.

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Everyone knows abstract art is back in full force. Some talk about the figuration bubble bursting, while others claim they crave more freedom to interpret the art around them. But the truth is, Abstract Art was never dead. And Figurative Art will never die. But this is always a fun conversation to have. The New York and Miami based collector Michael Wiener is an art patron in the truest sense of it and a collector with an eye for young talents. Also known as the “Admirer of the Abstract” on Instagram, we met with Michael to speak about his trajectory in the art world, the artists he has his eye on and why he chose to focus his collection predominantly on abstract art. 
Michael, it’s a pleasure to connect again. You’ve been collecting art for over 30 years, first in New York and most recently in Miami where you also live for part of each year. What has your collecting journey been like and how did you first fall in love with art? 
Michael Wiener: Yes, certainly great to connect with you Bibi, and to see all that you have accomplished with newcube. About 34 years ago I purchased my first piece of art. It was a lithograph by Yaacov Agam. I found myself studying it each day, I was captivated by the work. At the beginning I was collecting rather aimlessly, mostly modernists but was interested in knowing more. With a desire to explore more of art history, I bought my first abstract expressionist work by Elaine De Kooning, a good size canvas from the 1950s. After living with that painting, I was hooked and I collected ABEX works for about 20 years, building a museum quality collection focused on the 1950s. 
Once that goal was complete, I wanted to see more artists working with Abstraction. Ultimately, that led me to collecting emerging artists, which also gave me the opportunity to engage with artists at the start of their careers. I collect with the same passion, but have transformed that drive into supporting the artists and the galleries where it really matters. I now spend most of my time doing studio visits, seeing shows, and discovering new practices by young talents. This has been truly intriguing and fulfilling.
As a collector and art patron, it’s important to support institutions. 
MW: Absolutely. I actively loan works from my collection to museums and currently have a painting by Kate Meissner on loan to her exhibition at Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts in Alabama. It’s a real joy to see these works shared with new audiences and traveling for museum exhibitions around the country or abroad. 
Now, tell us more about your collection. We already know you admire abstract art and we appreciate your support of up and coming artists.
MW: I am partial to gestural abstraction and collect artists whose works I love and find transformational. A big part of what I enjoy is the pursuit of discovering these artists. Some of the favorite works in my collection are by artists such as Mannat Gandotra, Wenhui Hao, Tsai Yanju, Sylvia Ong and Sarah Martin-nuss. 
Most recently, I acquired a painting by the young artist Justin Robinson from Danny First’s The Cabin in Los Angeles – a residency Robinson just completed. I love the composition of his painting and his brilliant use of color, which I believe was influenced by his time working as Eddie Martinez’s assistant. I am now proudly hanging that work in my Miami residence.

Gwen O'Neil, Expecting to Fly, 2021. Michael Wiener's Private Collection. 
Courtesy of the artist.

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As a collector with an eye for catching talents early, who are the artists you currently have your eye on? 
MW: Tara Downs just closed an exhibition featuring the works of Nizhonniya Austin (the exhibition was on view until February 22). Her work is exceptional and I was lucky enough to acquire a painting by her. These powerful works are rendered in saturated and bold colors and chronicle deeply personal histories. I also have my eye on a recent RCA grad, Seohyun Oh. Seohyun’s work is inspired by nature, and animal/tree spirits and she explores the interconnectedness of life through a unique interplay of color, form and rhythm – a practice to watch. Seohyun is currently part of a two person show at Jack Barrett Gallery in New York City.

Maxwell Wade, Dawn Chorus, 2020. Michael Wiener's Private Collection. 
Courtesy of the artist.

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There are so many great talents out there and most recently, there have been many heated conversations regarding the role and necessity of an art advisor. How do you typically choose the artists whose works you wish to acquire? 
MW: I watch Instagram very closely, and find that as a good place to identify talent early on. I also count on my relationships with many gallerists here and abroad. Attending shows has also been particularly useful, especially art fairs such as Untitled and NADA in Miami. In New York I am also fond of fairs like Independent, NADA and The Armory show. I also have to give a lot of the credit to my art advisor, Dakota Sica, whose eye and input have been invaluable to building my collection. He and I often collect the same artists and the process has actually been super enjoyable. A great art advisor definitely makes all the difference.
We couldn’t agree more. A great art advisor has your best interest at heart and can add so much to your collecting journey and experience. Similarly, given our extensive art advisory services at newcube, I can say that working with genuine art collectors who understand the subtleties and ethics of the art world is also equally valuable!

Mannat Gandotra, In Another Life, 2024. Michael Wiener's Private Collection. Courtesy of the artist.

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At newcube, we work with seasoned collectors who have been acquiring works for decades, but we also advise young collectors who look up to more seasoned collectors like yourself and who are just starting. We give them genuine advice, support them with due diligence, help them identify the best works by the artists they follow, and guide them in the best way possible. What advice would you give to a collector or an art lover who is just starting to collect art? 
MW: This may be cliché, but I would say “only buy what you love.” I would also say to try and collect the best work of an artist… don’t settle, don’t rush. If you really get the collecting bug and want to bring purpose and continuity to your collection, an art advisor, to me, is an invaluable part of this process. The relationship allows you to spend your time exploring art in a more streamlined way while avoiding potential pitfalls. A good advisor can open up doors to works you might not be able to otherwise secure, while at the same time advising you on the quality of the work and its pricing. 
Absolutely! There are great advisors to collectors out there, but unfortunately very few advisors to artists. At newcube, a big part of what we do is to support, guide and advise up and coming artists throughout their career paths. As a collector who’s been building valuable relationships with the artists you collect, what advice would you give to up-and-coming artists today? 
MW: I would tell them to price smart. You can always raise your prices, but it’s hard to lower them. Stay true to what is captivating your collectors initially until you build a solid following and then experiment more at that point, as your collectors will be willing to perhaps follow you over a cliff at that point (but likely not before). It is important for an artist to be able to articulate their practice with others. Last but not least, it is good to have a robust presence on Instagram, as that’s often how artists are first noticed in today’s world.
Thank you for these valuable tips. I particularly appreciate your take on how important it is for artists to be able to articulate their practice. In today’s competitive world, artists need to find ways to stand out and build a reliable support system around them. A big part of what you do as an art patron is to introduce these young artists to galleries or collectors that can help them grow. You’ve worked with galleries to place some artists. Can you tell us a little more about how you see these partnerships work? 
MW: I really enjoy helping young artists, so when I see one that I think is exceptional and whose work hasn’t been shown in the US yet, I try to make an introduction to a few galleries in NYC to see where there is a fit. I am honored that the gallerists trust my eye and know me well from collecting. I have had great success with this and have organized three solo exhibitions this year alone. Half gallery had a solo exhibition of Katherine Qiyu-Su last year and is having another solo currently through March 15th this year. I personally own two of her works and I think it’s still a great opportunity to own this very talented artist’s work. Katherine paints these colorful and fantastic organic patterns on linen, which flicker between abstraction and figuration. 
On an end note, any dream acquisition? 
MW: I have a few. But I would love to own another painting by Mannat Gandotra – I just have to find a wall big enough to fit the painting I have my eye on. Mannat paints big and one of my favorite works I saw in her studio in London this past summer, but it was 9 feet high. It would indeed be a dream to own that painting or one that scale. I see her work as museum worthy. They exude an intense energy and are quite lyrical. Mannat aims to create these visually abstract universes that are alive and that seem endless in a way. They are full of foreign forms in bold colors intertwined with lines, which all come together to create this other world. And she talks so well of her own work, it’s all in all very captivating. 
We also love Mannat’s work and can’t wait to see where she’s headed! We know she’s going places. Thank you Michael! Always a pleasure chatting with you!

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The New York and Miami based collector Michael Wiener is an art patron in the truest sense of it and a collector with an eye for young talents. Also known as the “Admirer of the Abstract” on Instagram, we met with Michael to speak about his trajectory in the art world, the artists he has his eye on and why he chose to focus his collection only on abstract art. 


Admiring Abstract Art with the Admirer of Abstract Art

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Women in the art world are inspiring, driven and hardworking leaders. Megan, an Angeleno and former director at Nino Mier gallery, is the perfect example of an ongoing success story at the top of the art world. Hired as a senior director in 2018 by Nino Mier, she left the gallery in May 2024 at a time when a controversial story subsequently led to the closing of the gallery’s multiple LA locations. Finding the opportunity to take over those same spaces she once worked at, Megan took over the three spaces on Santa Monica boulevard to open her eponymous gallery, <a href="https://www.meganmulrooney.com/" target="_blank">Megan Mulrooney</a>. 
It takes guts and courage to take such a big step, but since its inaugural opening, we’ve seen great shows bring together the best of LA’s artistic community with a much needed focus on intergenerational conversations. 
Megan, it’s a pleasure to reconnect. Congratulations on the opening of your gallery, how exciting! Los Angeles is lucky to have you. First and foremost, it&#8217;s impossible to chat without mentioning the recent wildfires that ravaged LA. Since last Tuesday, more than 180,000 of the city&#8217;s residents have been put under evacuation orders. Many homes have literally turned to ash. This is by far one of the worst natural disasters we have witnessed this century, and dozens of artists have been directly affected as they lost their homes and studio spaces. An entire community is affected by this tragedy. How does it feel to be in LA right now? 
As the world witnessed during the past two weeks, Los Angeles has been devastated by the largest wildfires in the history of the city and tragically the fires continue to burn. While unfortunately the hardships faced by displaced community members will continue long after the fires have ended, it has been heartwarming and uplifting to see how those in the arts have banded together to donate and fundraise for artists, galleries and cultural workers who have suffered the loss of their home, studios and belongings. 
Are there any trusted charities or organization that you&#8217;d like to share with us and with our readers? 
If you would like to contribute to the rebuilding and restoration of the arts community here in Los Angeles Grief and Hope is a campaign whose goal is to fundraise $500,000 to be distributed to artists and art workers who have lost their home and / or studio as a result of the Eaton, Palisades, Sunset, and other fires in the Los Angeles area. You can find more information <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-the-lives-of-las-artists-and-art-workers" target="_blank">here</a>. While this is a broad way to support, another method is to identify the artists who have lost their homes or are displaced as a result of the fires and collect or acquire their work. 
Thank you for sharing this with us. We encourage every one of our readers to support the affected artists in the best way they can, even a few dollars add up and help them rebuild. We are happy to hear the galleries are reopening now, it feels like the positive energy needs to be spread again throughout the city. Now, tell us a little more about you. How did you first enter the art world and how has your journey been so far?
After graduating from NYU, I moved to London to work at Sotheby’s in Mayfair where I started as a floating assistant, before I joined the auction house’s Impressionist &#038; Modern department. After Sotheby’s, my mentor Patrick Van der Vorst, who had opened his private valuation company called St. George Valuations, asked me to join and develop the business under his stewardship. After a few years, I returned to Los Angeles where I worked at several auction houses before deciding to move on to work directly with artists. Before making the change from auction house to gallery, I sat down with collector and founder of Felix Art Fair, Dean Valentine, at Mel’s Diner on Sunset to seek his counsel and discuss which up-and coming-gallery in LA most aligned with my interest in emerging artists. Dean still remains a friend to this day and I’m excited that my gallery will have its inaugural presentation at his fair this February. 
With the 3 spaces of the gallery, you are able to play around with curation in many interesting ways. The gallery focuses on an intergenerational curation with each space speaking to each other and some outside curators joining forces with you. You’re also committed to bringing together some more established artists with new voices in the art world. Can you tell us more about your perspective on the dialogue you are looking to create? 
I am lucky to have a gallery in the heart of West Hollywood. Situated at the beginning of a cul-de-sac, the <a href="https://www.meganmulrooney.com/" target="_blank">gallery</a> is divided into three dynamic spaces that allow for multiple exhibitions at once. Given the nature of the spaces, we are able to create a dialogue among different artists so that each individual exhibition can curatorially align with the other while existing in its own space. The ability to create a conversation between the artists’ exhibitions was something that felt important given my background of working so closely with great mid-career artists as well as more emerging and younger voices. I find it so interesting how artists can work in the same mediums or have similar compositional constructs but be generations apart &#8211; and thus I wanted to foster those conversations and make them visible to the public. My greatest friendships have been intergenerational and I find there is so much to learn from our similarities and differences. It’s this same concept that I hope to apply by showing artists across generations. 
Born and raised in LA, you’re a true Angeleno. Is your gallery focusing on the LA art scene? Can you also talk a little bit about your take on the community aspect and how you are trying to create a strong community through the gallery and its programming. 
In recent years, the city has seen an influx of out-of-state galleries opening their second spaces in Los Angeles with a focus on bringing artists from outside of California to exhibit. However, these large galleries focus on bringing their existing program to LA and thus there is still a need for LA galleries to show local, LA-based artists. When starting the gallery I received great advice from artist Jon Pylypchuk and gallerist David Kordansky who both recommended I focus on creating a community by showing Los Angeles artists. I’ve been thinking a lot about how the physical space of the gallery should foster community by encouraging people to gather and discuss art, culture, ideas and politics. I have been programming the forthcoming year with this principle in mind bringing together an artist like Drake Carr who will do live portraiture of influential Angelenos during his “Sit-Ins” series contrasted with LA-based Nick Taggart’s 1970s portraits of models, musicians, and actors as well as famous places from the Sunset Strip to Echo Park.

sunset-2024_11_05_mulrooney51837

SUNSET-2024_11_05_MULROONEY51837

Which galleries have inspired you throughout your career? 
When I think of Los Angeles galleries the names that always come to mind are Ferus Gallery, China Art Objects, Black Dragon Society, Suzanne Vielmetter, Regen Projects, Blum &#038; Poe, and David Kordansky. I am also so inspired by the many transient gallery spaces within LA and I have been in awe of their innovative approach to showing art. 
Do you also collect? As a collector, what was the first and last artwork you’ve acquired? How do you typically select the artists you add to your personal art collection and to the gallery programming? 
I do collect! The first artwork I ever bought was a pastiche of Francisco Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son” at the gift shop of his birthplace in Fuendetodos. It remains my most favorite work of art in my collection and would even travel around with me &#8211; at one point I had it in the glovebox of my car!! &#8211; sounds pretty dark right?. Then in my twenties I began collecting more seriously &#8211; moved out of the gift shop and into the gallery so to speak and began seeking advice from artists who were friends, other collectors and advisors. I have an instinctual sense about the works I buy &#8211; I usually know immediately what I want and I don’t question it &#8211; even though the why is not always clear. I recently acquired a small painting by Mia Middleton from Roberts Projects which I’m excited to hang on my salon wall. There is always something sinister afoot in Mia’s works and this one is no exception, in it her subject holds a red apple. The apple is the focus of the painting and for me symbolizes fertility and desire. However, how I program the gallery is more purposeful than my personal collection. It takes into account the artists that I have had the opportunity to work with over my years as a Director and new emerging voices that I am exposed to now. 
How was your first Nada experience and what other fairs will you be participating in this year?
I am a huge fan of NADA &#8211; I love that they represent an association of galleries that fosters the idea of community at its center bringing together gallerists, artists and collectors from around the globe. It was great to be presenting work under my own name at the fair for the first time, and for our inaugural presentation, I asked three generations of female artists to respond to the themes of “coming-of-age”. It felt very apropos for my first fair! This year we also plan to exhibit at Felix Art Fair in LA during Frieze Week, Expo Chicago, Aspen Art Fair and the inaugural edition of Untitled Houston. 
 
Many congrats! A lot going on for you in 2025! 
Yes, I am so excited for our January exhibitions which include solo exhibitions by Vienna-based Philip Mueller and Paris-based Flora Temnouche, and a group exhibition curated by Los Angeles based artist Mindy Shapero. Mindy and I have worked together for many years and I am in awe of her incredible studio practice all while raising her two children. Mindy’s exhibition will be the third artist curated project that the gallery has held and it feels extra special given that Mindy is organizing the exhibition around her MICA professor Ken Tisa. Ken has influenced hundreds of working artists and it feels lovely that Mindy is honoring his legacy through an exhibition that brings together those that he has inspired throughout his career. 
 
At newcube, we work with young collectors who look up to more seasoned collectors and we are always on the lookout for new artists. What advice would you give a collector who’s just starting? 
I’d say, see as much art in person as possible. My advice to any young collector is to choose a couple of different galleries who represent artists that are of interest. Follow their programs, learn from their directors and start to acquire works by the artists that they represent. By aligning yourself with a few galleries you can begin to foster a relationship with them and their artists, as well as get to know other collectors who support the gallery who can then expose you to new artists. 
We couldn’t agree more. There is something about building your own community within the collector, gallery and artist communities while supporting each other. Since you work closely with many artists, some emerging, others more mid-career or established, you know how challenging it can be for an artist to stand out and succeed. What would the top 3 advice you would give to up and coming artists today? 
That’s a great question. Most importantly, 1. be in the studio and create; 2. visit the galleries you are interested in showing at. Become part of their ecosystem! The more you are seen by them the more apt they are to think of you when programming for their next exhibitions. 3. find a gallerist who can be your partner throughout your career. I always admire artists who have life-long friendships and lasting relationships with their gallerists. Lastly, 4. I’ve heard a lot of artists discuss how social media can be distracting to their practice and in this vein I think it’s important as an artist to not be influenced by it, but rather to utilize social media as a marketing tool for their own work. 
Would you have any advice to share with someone looking to open their own art gallery? 
Ensure you have a strong community of artists, collectors, writers, curators, and other gallerists who support you and your vision. I am lucky enough to be friends with other peers of mine who are starting their own galleries at the same time, and it seems special that we are all supporting each other.
Opening my own gallery is like having a second child &#8211; I like to say it’s my biggest achievement since having my son. 
Well, I wish you and both your babies the very best for many many years to come. I’m very excited to see the gallery grow, and to come see you at Felix!

Los Angeles is lucky to have such a strong art community. We spoke to Megan Mulrooney, a few months after the opening of her eponymous gallery on Sunset. Mulrooney shares with us about her love for LA and her passion for creating intergenerational dialogue. 

WOMEN IN THE ARTS: Megan Mulrooney,  a rising voice of the LA art scene

WOMEN IN THE ARTS: Megan Mulrooney, a rising voice of the LA art scene

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Born in 1992 in Seoul, South Korea, Arang Choi lives and works in Vienna, Austria.

Born in 1992 in Seoul, South Korea, Arang Choi lives and works in Vienna, Austria. A recent graduate of Vienna’s Academy of Fine Arts under famed professors such as Daniel Richter, Choi’s body of work interrogates our understanding of existence. Her signature anthropomorphic and mythical creature, called Emulb (meaning "Flower" in reverse German) appears in a variety of forms throughout Choi’s work. This hybrid alter ego invokes a metaphysical notion of animism that positions humans, animals and nature on equal planes. Otherworldly and fantastical, Choi’s compositions bring together the definable and undefinable in a narrative of mystical fiction inspired by her infinite dream stage. Choi's works are featured in collections internationally, and were recently acquired by the permanent collection of a leading art institution in Vienna, Austria.

Arang Choi

Born in 2001 in Ulaan Ude, Buriad-Mongolia, Yuma Radne lives and works in London, UK.

Born in 2001 in Ulaan Ude, Buriad-Mongolia, Yuma Radne currently lives and works in London, UK where she is completing her degree at Slade School of Art. Radne previously studied in Saint Petersburg and Vienna. Her work explores the relationship between humans and nature, and narrates the connection between the two. Mythological, fantastical, energetic and incredibly unique, Radne creates her own myths to explore, and operates with the idea that nothing is supposed to have an answer and anything can be any color you want it to be.

Yuma Radne

Born in 1997 in Shenzhen, China Baoying Huang lives and works in Long Island City, NY.

Born in 1997 in Shenzhen, China, Baoying Huang lives and works in Long Island City, NY. Huang uses art as a portal to tell her story of living between two cultures: being a citizen of China, and a resident of the U.S. Living in the ongoing pandemic and the antagonism between the two nations, Huang’s paintings depict the compartmentalized environments that she lives in, and her emotional connection with domestic themes as she raises questions about the meaning of home.

Huang considers her paintings as containers of “nomad” thoughts. The aspiration of wanting to express herself through language and conversation is compromised and compressed into painting materials and visual forms. Colors in these paintings are filtered and dimmed, which points to a sense of coldness she observes in her repetitive living patterns during the pandemic– being trapped in a humanless land and only able to see the traces she left in a space. The distinction between the air-tight surface and scratchy brush marks represents the paradox between hyperrealism and a gauzy, blurred romanticism. Huang believes in the power of painting because of its open-endedness communication. She is pointing at the mundane which all human beings can perceive, and hopes the spark in the dark can eventually make a good blaze. Painting is a practice to process the melancholy that comes from the present disconnect and allergy to the past; painting is Huang’s reconciliation to the outside world and the reflection of the internal mind.

Baoying Huang

Born in 1988 in Tehran, Iran, Reihaneh Hosseini lives and works in Vienna, Austria.

Born in 1988 in Tehran, Iran, Reihaneh Hosseini lives and works in Vienna.

Born and raised in Tehran, Hosseini studied philosophy before emigrating to Vienna in 2014, where she currently resides. Trained under Austrian abstract artists including Christian Schwarzwald and Gunter Damisch, Reihaneh soon returned to figurative painting, her favored style for reflecting on the world that surrounds her. As a storyteller, she is inspired by her friends and her everyday life experiences, yet she portrays them with a dysmorphic rendition, exaggerated proportions, grotesque, and distorted features, and an incongruous palette. Her strong sense of corporeality coupled with the absurdity of the scenes that she depicts reveal a psycho-emotional approach to life and painting. The figures that populate her works oscillate between beauty and ugliness, they have a cartoonish appearance that adds a glimpse of humor and playfulness to her compositions, yet they are imbued with philosophical subtleties. Hosseini’s paintings take us to a dreamlike world where each of her characters evokes our unconscious thoughts, our inner child, as well as our mental and social imagery.

Reihaneh Hosseini

Born in 1993 in Lisbon, Portugal, Pedro Ruxa lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.

Born in 1993 in Lisbon, Portugal, Pedro Ruxa lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.

Pedro Ruxa is a painter whose work balances intellectual inquiry with striking visual presence. With a background that bridges artistic practice and academic research, Ruxa explores painting as both a technical discipline and a philosophical investigation. His canvases are meticulously crafted, with vivid color fields and precise detail that immediately capture the eye, yet their true resonance lies beyond first impressions.

At the heart of Ruxa’s work is a duality: the paintings operate on the level of immediate sensation, while simultaneously opening pathways to layered interpretations. Color, form, and representation are reduced to their essential structures, leaving behind a residue of meaning, something like a distilled emotion or thought. Viewed together, these works construct an atmosphere that is at once poetic and enigmatic, inviting viewers into a space where intellect and perception remain in delicate tension. Each canvas functions like a visual poem: minimal in language, but inexhaustible in possible readings.


Pedro Ruxa

Born in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, Brandon Elijah Johnson lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Born in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, Brandon Elijah Johnson lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

As we step into Johnson's world, somewhere between imagination and reality, we become a part of his visual diary. A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Johnson reinterprets familiar ordinary scenes in his paintings and drawings, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time. He takes reference images from his direct environment and intentionally - or not - offers a representative picture of today’s world. His vivid compositions draw from pop culture, embrace pastiche, and remain attached to the here and now. As part of a generation willingly returning to figurative painting, Johnson moves away from pure representation, at times infusing a touch of playfulness, and distancing himself from painterly conventions. Between fiction and documentary reality, Johnson’s works reveal a part of our collective memory.

Brandon Elijah Johnson

Born in 1977 in Helsinki, Finland, Elina Salminen lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.

Born in 1977 in Helsinki, Finland, Elina Salminen lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.

Salminen’s works are hybrid. They are both paintings and objects, sculptures and installations, light and shadow, floating and barely palpable, yet we are drawn to unveil what lies behind them or else, within the color itself. Salminen surprises us as viewers and we question what we see. Her works play with space and time, they move beyond the surface and reflect on her fascination with color as an intangible source of light. With her paintings, Salminen delicately applies monochromatic hues on edges and corners, then covers the emptiness with translucent materials such as cloth or glass. There is no paint on the surface of the painting, only a reflection of the color that hides behind. Utterly romantic, her works engage us in a conversation about protection and warmth. They are abstracted minimalist compositions that entail infinite meanings, each altered with time and space.

Elina Salminen

Born in 1987, Nick Farhi lives and works in New York, NY.

Nick Farhi (b. 1987, New York) is an artist, poet, and theorist. 

Developing a wonky and uniquely a-skewed visual grammar through the labor of painting, Farhi's works are often large scale representational oil paintings that depict everyday objects and reflect on the rhythm of life. Through an interplay between visual research, spanning from found imagery and autobiographical photography, to an internal intuition for cinematic figuration, Farhi makes his painterly mark by elevating ordinary objects to the status of memento mori. A piano, a glass or a coffee machine become symbolic tropes that act as a reminder of the inevitability of nostalgia.

 

Nick Farhi

Pick Your

Artworks by Price

Dye on canvas (Batik) 
2024
Rachel Hakimian Emenaker's artistic practice and personal life have been shaped by navigating the tension and beauty that come when cultures and traditions collide. Bridging East and the West in a multicultural home, she is inspired by her Armenian-Syrian heritage, her American citizenship, and an upbringing in Suriname and Russia that immersed her in conflicting narratives, aesthetics, and histories. 
In her batiks, she explores diaspora through architecture in recreated spaces. The batik practice that she uses stems from her childhood in Suriname, a former Dutch colony. In the 19th century, Dutch colonizers brought Javanese indentured laborers to Suriname, along with their culture and artistic practices.

Description

With a certificate of authenticity signed by the Artist.

Authentication

Rachel Hakimian Emenaker, born in 1992 in Los Angeles where she currently lives and works, is an artist whose practice deeply engages with the complexities of diasporic identity and memory. Drawing from her Armenian Syrian heritage, American citizenship, and an upbringing in Suriname and Russia, her work navigates the intersections of diverse cultural narratives, aesthetics, and histories. Her art focuses on architecture and space as a vessel for collective memory, exploring how both can be markers of migration and erasure. Spanning across mediums from batik fabrics to stacked ceramics and monumental beadwork, her work combines traditional Eastern and Western art forms with craft practices. By recreating symbolic spaces, in which erasure of collective memory and experience of migration collide, she reflects on the global history of trade routes and their influence on cultural exchange. A recent graduate of UCLA’s MFA program, she has shown her works in solo and group exhibitions including in the "25 under 25" exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. Most recently, Rachel Hakimian Emenaker had a solo show at Luce Gallery in Turin, Italy and her works are currently shown at the Grand Central Arts Center in Santa Ana. She was the recipient of the Dedalus Foundation MFA Fellowship in 2024. Her work will be featured this month in Issue #175 of New American Paintings, curated by renowned art critic Jerry Saltz. Her works have been acquired by several collectors internationally, including Beth Rudin DeWoody for the Bunker Art Space in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Rachel Hakimian Emenaker

Installation

Painting

Textile

Untitled (Los Angeles)

Oil on canvas 
2023
From her Émulb series, Arang Choi paints a fluid, physical world where emotions play a central role and style and appearance remain secondary. The figures Choi depicts appear exposed, vulnerable and skeptical of their own existence, and can trigger an ambivalent relationship between empathy and strangeness.

Location

Authentication 

Oil on Canvas 
2021
Baoying Huang is a citizen of China who has been living in the US for over 7 years. Through painting, she tells her story as a young woman living between two cultures. Her paintings depict the compartmentalized environments she lives in, and they reveal her emotional connection to domestic themes as she asks herself what the meaning of home is. With a play on reflection, on inside/outside and a depiction of the normal objects that surround her, Huang builds herself an aesthetic universe that has become her home.

6 P.M.

Oil on linen mounted on panel 
2022
In found midcentury photographs, clichés like suburban cowboys appear as American kitsch, almost comforting in their familiarity. Artist Meghan Murray examines these motifs, parsing out Kodachrome color cast, pouring over the 35 mm slide memories of a stranger with both nostalgia and a cold disaffection. Murray finds herself complicit in a history written by the figures in these photos. In this work, Murray reimagines the humor and warmth of the Christmas season, and the obsession with the western television genre, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. In elevating a discarded snapshot to the historical context of painting and by engaging with the snapshot as both archival object and image, Murray encourages critical viewing of emblematic themes. The titles Murray uses for her works are found in the New York Times archives, from the same year that the original photo was printed, in a way to challenge the temporality - or lack thereof - in the image.

With a certificate of authenticity signed by the Artist.

Born in 1994 in Massachussets, Waltham-based Meghan Murray received her BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College in 2016 and her MFA in Painting from Boston University in 2022. Her representational painting practice embodies and simultaneously intervenes upon historical tradition. Murray’s oeuvre is a continued investigation into intergenerational American ideals and clichés as viewed in the mid-century family photo album. Her paintings examine her preoccupation with nostalgia as she finds inspiration in midcentury photographs that she collects. She is a recipient of the 2022 Blanche E. Colman award for New England artists and was awarded second place in the 2023 Miami University Young Painters competition by juror John Yau. Murray currently lives and works in Waltham, MA.



Meghan Murray

President and Family Spend Quiet Christmas in Capital (December 26, 1968)

Oil on canvas 
2022
A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Brandon Elijah Johnson typically reinterprets a familiar or an ordinary scene, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time.

Claire's Knee

Oil on canvas 
2022
In Three Women, Reihaneh Hosseini once again pushes boundaries forward, tainted with humor and cynicism. A selfportrait, Hosseini stands proud alongside two of her closest friends from the LBGTQ community back in her native Iran. Their somewhat deranged and melancholic appearance is a reflection of how the conservative society in which they live - or rather survive - perceives them. There's something purposefully disturbing, yet a peaceful and tender affection between the figures seems obvious. These figures are not erotic objects, rather Hosseini speaks against genderism, and in favor of humanity. A contemporary take on The Three Graces, the artist and her friends - like Euphrosyne, Aglaia and Thalia - each bestow a particular gift on humanity, but with a twist. They become a metaphor for a complex approach to gender identity: the artist herself is heterosexual, yet still on a journey exploring her sexual identity, while her friends are respectively lesbian and transexual. How do they fit - as human beings - in their contemporary society, and in particular within the restrained and overly restricted Iranian community?

Three Women

Acrylic on wood and Cotton cloth 
2020
In Finnish, Kangastus means 'mirage' or 'illusion' and Kangas refers to the 'cloth'. The title of the painting, therefore, brings together two defining aspects of Salminen’s work, the illusion and perception of color with the delicate cloth that reflects light. As part of an intimate series created by Salminen, this work epitomises how the artist plays around with both the visible and the invisible.