For most young artists, getting into the art scene is not easy, finding exposure, financial stability, and a platform where their work resonates with people. Annie Chen Ziyao is making that possible. As an art entrepreneur and curator, she is revolutionizing the way art is experienced, displayed, and incorporated into everyday life. With an aspiration to link commerce and creativity, Chen has set up platforms that not only show art but also community, entrepreneurial creativity, and sustainable business practices for artists.
Her entrepreneurial experience, starting with being a curator, started since 2020. She established the :iidrr Gallery in 2020 as a platform on which artists would get exposure and build community. But this was just the beginning. After exhibition curation at recognized venues such as Leroy Street Studio and other alternative galleries, she co-founded Flowing Space in early 2024 — a functional art gallery with a tea house, where art is not confined to white walls but a common, lived experience. Flowing Space embodies Chen’s belief that art should be integrated into daily life, not merely the exclusive domain of established institutions.
Flowing Space is a premier art and cultural space specializing in functional art and Eastern tea culture, promoting dialogue between art and daily routines. More than just a gallery, Flowing Space serves as a bridge between artists and the public, making art more accessible, livable, and economically sustainable. Chen’s curatorial approach extends beyond traditional gallery models. Flowing Space is not only an exhibition venue. Rather, it is an experience whereby the public interacts with functional art objects-furniture, tableware, and decorative pieces that fully become absorbed in everyday life.
“We often think of art as something to be admired from a distance,” Chen explains. “But what if art could also be something we live with? Something we touch, use, and find joy in every day?”
Since its launch, Flowing Space has actively reshaped the New York art scene in order to make it more accessible and financially sustainable for artists. As co-founder and director of Flowing Space, Chen launched the incubator project to enable artists to turn their creative visions into working pieces of art — accessible and affordable design objects. At the same time, the project aims to educate consumers on integrating art into everyday life, encouraging them to view and purchase art as home essentials.
Continuing this vision, Flowing Space presents a group exhibition of artists from Harvard Ceramics Studio, “The Cup Speaks” (23 May to 22 June 2025). In presenting this exhibition in New York, Flowing Space reiterates its purpose to bring the focus to the craftsmanship involved in objects of use and open up the dialogue between the makers, the users, and art lovers in a very intimate way.
Chen envisions Flowing Space as a public bridge for art. It is an incubator where emerging artists can thrive, connect with a wider audience, and find real financial support for their craft. She hopes to discover and uplift more artisans and designers so they can stand on their own with their work while providing people with an approachable way to bring art into their homes.
“Art should not just be hidden away in museums and galleries. It should be a part of our daily lives, from the ways we eat and drink to how we gather and live. Flowing Space touches on that contact, creating a space where art is not simply viewed but experienced in the most natural, intimate ways.”
Following the ideology of constantly challenging traditional gallery infrastructure and advocating for a more inclusive, sustainable, and economically viable tomorrow for artists, Flowing Space is changing the way art is experienced and also laying the foundation of a healthier, more accessible art ecosystem in New York.
