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February 19, 2026 The Opening Reception of Alison Van Pelt’s 40 Years of Painting Portraits at Gallery Chang was a resounding success, as a large crowd gathered to celebrate, with champagne flowing throughout the evening. On display are a total of 28 pieces, which range in size and content but are primarily large portraits. Those featured in the works include artists like Louise Bourgeois, Gwen Stefani, and Samuel Beckett–and many also include statements such as, “I’d Be God’s Gift,” or “I’d Have My Way With Words.” Van Pelt does indeed have a way with words; her California-raised calm and charm were much appreciated by gallery visitors who had the opportunity to ask her questions about her pieces directly. She was happy to discuss her process, background, and other details at length over GoGoJang Dubai chocolate cookies. Gallery goers gained more insight about how her paintings can take up to two to three days with minimal breaks and no sleep, particularly the larger 5’ x 4’ works. People were surprised to learn that every detail of her artworks is hand-painted, many believing that she had utilized photographs for the portraits due to their expert detailing. Those in attendance included Alison’s close family and friends, many of whom traveled from California to see the show. Also present were New York gallery scenesters, Gallery Chang regulars, and walk-ins from the neighborhood. It was a Thursday evening from 6-8 pm, so many walk-ins were on their way to dinner or a show (or both) with traffic peaking at 7 pm. Throughout the night, the flow of people was steady, and people took care to view each of the works. The images draw the viewer in; they evoke a sense of dissolution. Of her process, Van Pelt has been quoted by culture writer Robert A Sobieszek as stating, “Every painting begins as a fact…The act of blurring deconstructs the fact and reveals an ideology–my own perception, my own uncertainty.” The event took place at our Midtown Manhattan location and marked the first solo exhibition in New York for Van Pelt. It was not the artist’s first time showing with us. Her work has also appeared at both our Seoul and Englewood locations, in last year’s exhibition The Unified Field. New works are included in this latest update to her publicly available oeuvre, including the 2026 pieces “Dylan,” “Bruce Springsteen,” and “Spotted Jack Rabbit w/ Crow Nation Turquoise.” The latter piece is of a native american warrior Chief who was photographed in 1898 by F.A. Rinehart. His image is the most repeated in the portraiture series of this exhibition, spanning back to 2005, with Van Pelt returning to tracing his face for over twenty years. The exhibition does not solely include portraits. There are also flowers, a hummingbird, a lion, and a skull, smaller works that may be more accessible to beginner collectors or someone looking for the perfect accent to a small space. These pieces, like the rest in the show, feature Van Pelt’s signature blurring style. -Celestina C Billington, Program & Workshops Coordinator, Gallery Chang

February 21, 2026 Coffee with the Artist was an intimate Saturday morning event encouraging the public to engage with artist Alison Van Pelt. Taking place February 21st, 2026 from 11AM-1PM at 150 W 55th Street NYC (Gallery Chang NY), attendees enjoyed catered coffee and sweet treats from GoGoJang cafe next door. The event was designed so that visitors could speak with Van Pelt in depth, a rare opportunity of intensive and direct engagement with an artist for the general public. Those who joined us included repeat attendees from the previous Thursday evening’s Opening Reception, as well as new walk-ins from the neighborhood. Dozens of guests came through, many of whom were seeing Van Pelt’s work for the first time. During the visit, gallery owner JunHwan Chang took an iPhone video of Van Pelt in front of her portrait of Chris Cornell of her S’aints series. The portrait, in the left section to the gallery entryway, was dubbed off-camera by Van Pelt and her friends as “the hot guy corner,” with Cornell joined by portraits of David Beckham and Jesus Christ. Van Pelt has a good sense of humor–reflected again in her portraits of Rupert Murdoch and Pete Doherty, which both are accompanied by the phrasing, “I’d Be Loaded,” a play on words referencing Murdoch’s wealth and Doherty’s rockstar cocaine habit. When asked about these pieces, Van Pelt noted the connection and added that Doherty used to date supermodel Kate Moss. The reference to celebrities and the use of celebrity as a type of iconography is woven throughout the exhibition, though not a sole theme. Van Pelt’s work is clearly influenced by Hollywood, which makes sense considering the artist is based in Los Angeles, the U.S. (and world’s) celeb epicenter. As aforementioned, Van Pelt’s themes are not limited to stars. Much of her work includes more obscure references to art history, revealing a deeply intelligent mind: Van Pelt was formally trained in both California and Florence. Her website cites Agnes Martin, Robert Rauschenberg, and Yayoi Kusama as key influences. Of Kusama, Van Pelt noted during the event that early in her career, Kusama had written an unsolicited letter to Georgia O’Keeffe, and that the latter artist, far more established at the time, responded. In the ensuing correspondence, one piece of advice from O’Keeffe to Kusama stands out: “show your art to everyone you can.” Gallery Chang is happy to support Alison Van Pelt in such an endeavor. -Celestina C Billington, Program & Workshops Coordinator, Gallery Chang

A Bold Attention Opening Night Suh YongSun April 9, 2026 On the corner of 7th Avenue and West 55th – in other words, around the block from veteran arts institutions that include MOMA, Gershwin Theatre, and Carnegie Hall – stands the vibrant contemporary arts space Gallery Chang. The New York City venue was founded just three years ago, and since then, it has begun to truly make its mark in the heart of Manhattan's cultural district. A unique position of the space is its framing of East-West dialogue as the curatorial theme, which was truly capitalized on for the Opening Reception of artist Suh YongSun’s A Bold Attention. The event took place at the cusp of Spring, with the season welcoming both bright flowers and Yongsun’s colorful paintings. For those unfamiliar with the artist’s practice, take note: Yongsun is one of those rare artists who has pursued continuity of praxis over trendsetting. The result is a cohesive visual language, one constructed over decades and across continents, with Yongsun having exhibited around the world at notable venues including London’s Gallery 12 and the Wooguanjoon Museum annexed Gallery in Singapore. Of course, his predominant social milieu is within South Korea, where his work is well known and celebrated. In 2009, he was awarded “Artist of the Year,” and in 2024, he received the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea Award. However, as is the case with the vast majority of international artists, the reality of cultivating an audience who is largely new to one’s work is one that Yongsun was well prepared for. Although multiple longtime fans of his work were present at the April 9th reception, many of the guests were viewing his pieces for the first time. This made the Artist Talk especially useful, as it gave the audience an opportunity to engage with his work in a direct manner. During preparations for his talk, Yongsun emphasized the importance of embracing his discomfort with the English language (though he speaks very well) as it would especially enrich viewers’ understanding of his perspective in painting the City Series, which features works that depict Rockefeller Center and Metropolitan Avenue. New Yorkers in attendance at the event were especially struck by these works, expressing excitement with the familiarity. On the other hand, they had many questions about Yongsun’s historical paintings, with most Americans being unfamiliar with South Korean annals. Despite their lack of knowledge on the events depicted in these works – King Danjong’s legacy or the lasting impact of the Autumn Uprising – our Western audience was curious to hear more about the artist’s perspective on both these works and on the entirety of the exhibition itself. For the Artist Talk, 60 attendees gathered tightly within the gallery to hear him speak and to ask him questions about the work directly. The talk was hosted in both English and Korean, with Arts Coordinator Celestina Billington moderating, Gallery Manager Jinnie Kang translating, and the gallery’s owners, Ara & Junhwa Chang, hosting. Of the works on display, most are exclusively held by Gallery Chang and are very new (2026). They were made in Middletown at the HOUSE by The Bank Art Foundation, a private artist cultivation program promoting the development of new works by contemporary masters. -Celestina C Billington, Program & Workshops Coordinator, Gallery Chang

International art gallery with locations in NYC, Middletown, Englewood & Seoul EXHIBITION CATALOGS ED MOSES ANDY MOSES YURI GORBACHEV SUH YONGSUN SHANE GUFFOGG JIMI GLEASON BEAUTIFUL RUPTURE THE MARK OF TIME KIM KANG YONG MIGUEL ÁNGEL IGLESIAS CHASE PROJECT SWELL OF LIGHT

ARTISTS REPRESENTED ARTISTS Ed Moses Suh Yongsun Yuri Gorbachev Stephen Robert Johns Ahn Seongmin Kim Kang Yong Andy Moses Alison Van Pelt Kim Sea Joong Kim In Ok Shane Guffogg Jimi Gleason Miguel Ángel Iglesias Steven Seinberg Moon Insoo Cho Yong Ik Choi WoolGa Todd Williamson Mark Acetelli Oh Kwan Jin EXHIBITED ARTISTS Bret Price Shin Kiwoun Kim Hongbin Choi Sungho Yoo Choongmok Kim Mine Kim Hobong Kelly Berg Kimi Kim Wittling Anon Ahn Chaeyeun Im Jibin Kim Younghun Lee Calvin Park Gisele Suh Tae Kyung Woo Jiyeon Anikoon Kim Dawn Kim Youngmi M. Maresca Park Soo Theo Woodward You Sun Cho Yuna Kim Nam Joo Koo Nahyun Oh Jean Rho Paul Tomek Sadurski Donkey Soo Kim Sae Jun Kwon May Yong Eun Oh Kai Rokkankim Vanessa Love

United States, 1950 Artist Biography Works Next Stephen Robert Johns United States, 1950 BIOGRAPHY Stephen Robert Johns is an American painter renowned for his geometric abstract compositions that explore the interplay of color, form, and pattern. Born in 1950, Johns studied at the Chouinard Art Institute before earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts in 1972. His work is deeply influenced by the Bauhaus movement, particularly the color theories of Johannes Itten and the geometric explorations of László Moholy-Nagy, as well as the balance between architecture and the natural world. Johns’ paintings are characterized by their minimalist aesthetic, featuring bold curves, planes, and angles rendered in vivid, primary colors. His compositions draw inspiration from the organic geometry of nature—leaves, flowers, and landscapes—blended with the structural precision of architectural forms. This fusion creates dynamic works that evoke a sense of harmony between structure and fluidity, inviting viewers to engage with the contrasts between natural and constructed environments. Throughout his career, Johns has exhibited his work internationally. Highlights include a solo exhibition at the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art in Japan (2015) and a retrospective at the Afragola High-Speed Train Station in Naples, Italy (2022), where his paintings dialogued with the organic architecture of Zaha Hadid. These exhibitions underscored Johns’ ability to merge geometric abstraction with site-specific resonance. In addition to his painting practice, Johns has participated in artist residencies, including the Julia and David White Artists’ Colony in Costa Rica, which enriched his exploration of geometry and color. His works have been collected by major public and private institutions worldwide, earning him recognition as a master of geometric abstraction. Currently, Johns splits his time between Los Angeles and Costa Rica, continuing to create works that reflect his ongoing exploration of the intersections between geometry, color, and the natural world. WORKS Load More