Traditionally, the art world is divided into galleries and museums. Galleries are often geared toward wealthy collectors while museums are more public-facing. But to Effi Shoua, founder of San Francisco’s Gefen Gallery, the line between gallery and museum—and the audiences they serve—is outdated.
A passionate art lover since he was a young man traipsing around Europe, Shoua wanted to start a gallery space that reflected his appreciation of contemporary and modern art combined with his fascination with modern up-and-coming artists. Since its founding in 2018, Gefen Gallery has showcased new voices from international artists in a welcoming environment conducive to appreciating art whether you’re new to the art world or a seasoned art collector.
The Next Big Artist Might Be Showing at Gefen Gallery, SF’s Egalitarian Gallery and Event Space
At Gefen Gallery, we’re passionate about the creation of art, not the collection of it... Our ideal is to bring art to more people. We want to be the place where everyone feels comfortable discovering art they’ll enjoy."
With two welcoming locations—a 5-level flagship gallery in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright office building at 315 Grant Ave and a satellite gallery at the iconic Fairmont Hotel—Gefen Gallery is a different kind of gallery. Their flagship location, opened in 2022, was completely renovated and sits conveniently near Union Square. This bright, open, contemporary gallery space features rotating exhibitions showcasing the best in contemporary art. It also functions as an event space, complete with an onsite bar and kitchen, making it a space where you’re just as likely to find engaging artworks that compliment modern interiors with a cocktail in hand as you are to experience cutting-edge pieces you won’t find anywhere else.
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“Our clientele is diverse,” Shoua explains of their approach. Since the gallery first opened, Gefen has commissioned art installations for clients as varied as Blue Cross Blue Shield HQ, 23andMe, and many private collectors. Gefen not only accommodates a broad spectrum of collectors and corporate buyers but also welcomes those just starting their art collection. “Nearly 60% of our clients are just beginning their collection. They have found a connection to the art we curate.”
Shoua’s unique eye for curation stems from his relational approach to the gallerist-artist dynamic. In the same way, Gefen Gallery sidesteps the hierarchical structure inherent to The Art World, Shoua’s approach is inclusive and mutually supportive. His relationship with Israeli artist Joel Amit galvanized the creation of the gallery itself.
By StoryStudio on February 28, 2024
315 Grant Avenue, San Francisco
Presented by
— Effi Shoua, Gallery Founder
An architect by trade, Amit wowed Shoua with artworks combining the artist’s eye for structures and patterns with a dynamic use of color and nature. Amit’s pieces are sculptures that feel like paintings; his metalwork is hand-painted and welded into designs of the natural world. Tactile, beautiful, and visually arresting, Amit’s pieces, represented exclusively by Gefen Gallery, are breathtakingly original.
“Amit’s artworks are more than just sculptures hanging on the wall,” explains Shoua. “The small metal components that make up Amit’s pieces are raised from the background at varying heights giving the three-dimensional illusion of butterflies swarming or birds flocking towards the viewer. As the daylight changes, each metal shape casts a unique reflection against the baseboard to give his seemingly stationary sculptures a sense of movement and fluidity.”
Part of Gefen Gallery’s appeal is the breadth of artists they represent. The work of abstract painter Ian Rayer-Smith is every bit as compelling and colorful as Amit’s sculptures but entirely different. His are paintings that ask more questions than they answer. By exploring new forms and optical paths infused with a classical feel, his paintings balance the tension between tradition and innovation in a way that’s inviting and still challenging.
"In a world preoccupied with technology, there is something remarkable about painting,” says Rayer-Smith. “It connects us back to man’s earliest and most elemental forms of self-expression.”
An architect by trade, Amit wowed Shoua with artworks combining the artist’s eye for structures and patterns with a dynamic use of color and nature. Amit’s pieces are sculptures that feel like paintings; his metalwork is hand-painted and welded into designs of the natural world. Tactile, beautiful, and visually arresting, Amit’s pieces, represented exclusively by Gefen Gallery, are breathtakingly original.
“Amit’s artworks are more than just sculptures hanging on the wall,” explains Shoua. “The small metal components that make up Amit’s pieces are raised from the background at varying heights giving the three-dimensional illusion of butterflies swarming or birds flocking towards the viewer. As the daylight changes, each metal shape casts a unique reflection against the baseboard to give his seemingly stationary sculptures a sense of movement and fluidity.”
As the daylight changes, each metal shape casts a unique reflection against the baseboard to give his seemingly stationary sculptures a sense of movement and fluidity.
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— Effi Shoua, Gallery Founder
In a world preoccupied with technology, there is something remarkable about painting
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— Ian Rayer-Smith, Artist
Gefen exhibits new artists all the time, rotating in new works by exciting new artists roughly every 45 days. 2024 has already seen the gallery present magnificent new work by French sculptor and painter, Julien Marinetti whose work Shoua fell in love with after a site visit at Marinetti’s studio in Paris's Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, along the banks of the River. Seine.
“I drove to the middle of nowhere,” Shoua recalls, “and when I finally found the studio and went in, my jaw just dropped. Julien's work is on par with that of high-level blue chip artists.”
Julien Marinetti's Exhibition
Shoua is excited about upcoming exhibitions. This spring, Gefen welcomes new works by Stallman Studio commissioned specifically by the gallery. Little known outside of the studio’s native Seattle, Stallman produces vibrant and colorful artworks that Shoua is convinced need a wider audience. But it’s not just finding deserving artists more exposure. Shoua sees Gefen Gallery as the manifestation of his raison d'être: extending to all the access to the art world he’s enjoyed.
Increasing access means presenting the art to people who may not often find themselves in a gallery. By hosting corporate events, partnering with restaurants, and utilizing the gallery’s kitchen and bar spaces, Shoua hopes more people will have that opportunity to experience the same thrill of discovery that Shoua gets every time he sees new art.
60 x 60
Shoua even plans on bringing art out of the gallery space and directly to the people. He’s excited that Gefen will be participating in the upcoming San Francisco Art Fair at Fort Mason and this summer’s Seattle Art Fair. Several other art fairs are in the pipeline, says Shoua, including an expansion into international art fairs.
“Great art deserves to be shared, in museums, in public spaces, not shown once at a gallery show then disappearing into a private collection,” says Shoua. “At Gefen, we curate art that will speak to people at street level, not just collectors with deep pockets.”
Experience a truly unique gallery. Visit Gefen Gallery at 315 Grant Ave or in the Fairmont Hotel or anytime at gefengallery.com.
Love Machine
Sculpted canvas and acrylic
Artists: STALLMAN – Jason Hallman & Stephen Stum