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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

February 28, 2026 “비움으로 채우는 시간, 장자와 조용익의 무심” 1.층위의 발견 (심재, 心齋) -장자와의 연결: 장자의 심재(마음 굶기기)를 소개. 정보를 수집하는 눈과 귀를 닫고, 기(氣)로서 작품을 마주하는 시간. • 대화 질문: "작품의 겹겹이 쌓인 층위 중, 지금 여러분의 마음 상태와 가장 닮아 있는 부분은 어디인가요?" 2. 리듬과 흔적 (좌망, 坐忘) -장자와의 연결: 작가의 붓질이 의도를 앞세우지 않고 몸의 리듬에 맡겨진 상태를 좌망(나를 잊음)과 연결. 의도적인 기술이 사라진 자리에 남은 '침잠의 경지'를 공유. -대화 질문: "조용익 화백이 색을 줄이고 반복적인 행위에 집중한 것처럼, 여러분의 삶에서 '덜어내었을 때 비로소 깊어진 경험'이 있으신가요?" 3. 미세한 차이와 생명력 (제물, 齊物) -장자와의 연결: 장자의 제물은 모든 것이 같다는 뜻이 아니라, 만물이 저마다의 자리에서 평등한 생명력을 가짐을 뜻한다. 반복되는 붓질 속의 미세한 차이가 곧 살아 있음의 증거임을 나누기. -대화 질문: "작품 속 미세한 흔적들이 저마다 다른 표정을 짓고 있듯, 우리 반복되는 일상 속에서 발견할 수 있는 '작지만 반짝이는 생명력'은 무엇일까요?" 4. 자유로의 회귀 (소요유, 逍遙遊) • 장자와의 연결: 비움을 통해 도달하는 절대 자유, 소요유를 이야기하며 마무리. 조용익의 '무심'이 빈 상태가 아니라 밀도 높은 집중인 것처럼, 우리 마음의 비움도 새로운 존재의 의미로 채워지는 과정임을 강조.

February 12, 2026 "Around the Paintings" was a curated tasting event at Gallery Chang NY that celebrated Korean heritage, art, and culture. Centered on the works of artist Cho Yong Ik, his oeuvre was highlighted by thoughtful pairings with curated rice wine from Hana Makgeolli, an artisanal brewery, and a selection of small bites from MissKOREA BBQ. It is widely accepted that Cho Yong Ik is one of the most important figures of Korean abstraction, having represented the country at various Biennales and with definitive retrospectives at key institutions, including Olivier Malingue in London, and Edouard Malingue in Hong Kong, as well as Han Gallery, and Sungkok Gallery in Seoul. A leading figure of the Dansaekhwa movement, a Korean artistic movement of the 1970s, the works of Ik and his contemporaries within the movement wed Eastern philosophy with Western minimalism. Attendees were delighted to learn of the breadth of Ik's work, Gallery Chang's collection spans decades from his collection --including his abstract figures, acrylic dot paintings, and wave series. The pieces vary in size, method, and emotive evocation, but they are united in their meditative quality. The essence of Cho Yong Ik's abstract language was translated first by a pairing of Hyunmi Takju, a dry and medium-bodied wine with notes of warm chestnut and earth. While sipping, viewers observed the Textural Grey Painting, noting how the subtle variations present in the wine mirrored those in the painting. This was enjoyed with Korean pancakes, buchimgae, which has a visual texture that mirrors the texture of the painting. The following pairing was Ik's Pastel Geometric Abstraction works with Omija Makgeolli, which is medium dry, effervescent with notes of pink peppercorn and citrus. These paintings are more structured than the prior, teasing images of men in period attire, though nothing feels rigid or dominant in these figures --whose faces and hands remain unpainted. As with Ik's other paintings, meaning is not overt, and the work operates through balance and restraint. Notably, these paintings make use of the traditional five Korean colors "obangsaek," which is why we paired it with the five berry flavor profile of Omija Makgeolli. To balance the wine, the light bite was hwajeon, a Korean flower pancake. The soft texture and delicate floral notes of the pancake complemented the oil painting's tonal sensitivity, reinforcing their sense of harmony. Our third pairing was Takju 16, a heavy-bodied and near-dry wine with floral and fruity notes of melon, green apple, and banana, and bulgogi salad. The contrast of the flavors of the wine and the beef salad mirrored the contrast in the painting, which was the most colorful work in the collection on display. This moment was the evening's anchor, offering substance and warmth in both flavor and form. Structural Color Field Painting is oil on canvas, created in 1966. The final pairing was Hwaju 12, a light, dry, earthy wine with bright lactic acid, paired with Gyeongdan, which are glutinous rice cakes filled with red bean paste. Our dessert was made even sweeter by the sight of Cho Yong Ik's Wave Series, which, like the food and wine pairing, benefits from their restraint. Each "wave" depicted on the surface of the varying canvas represents a repeated flick of Ik's wrist, suggesting technical exertion on the artist's part, and yet observing these works gives the opposite feeling, a sense of calm. To close the evening with these works left attendees in a state of joyful reflection, having had a thoughtful and tasty experience with us here at Gallery Chang. We look forward to the next. -Celestina C Billington, Program & Workshops Coordinator, Gallery Chang