Uffner & Liu: A Vibrant Vision in New York and Beyond 

In the Lower East Side of New York, the contemporary art gallery Uffner & Liu has built, year after year, a reputation for presenting art that challenges and inspires. Founded in 2008 by Rachel Uffner, the gallery started out in a modest storefront and later moved to Suffolk Street, where an expanded space made work on a larger scale possible. That move opened the way for a lot of new exhibitions. Even now, the gallery remains open to experimentation, finding ways to get out of routine approaches to art.

When Lucy Liu became a partner to Rachel in 2025, their partnership brought together two leaders whose visions for the gallery were both aligned and distinct. Lucy, whose interests extend far beyond New York, and Rachel, whose ties to the local art community are still strong after so many years, shaped not just the gallery’s name but its direction. A good partnership can bring stability and an exciting opportunity for change; through all of this, Uffner & Liu still puts the artist and their work at the center.

As reported by Ocula, Lucy Liu and Rachel Uffner have exciting plans ahead. As one article, written by Zian Chen, explains, “Looking ahead, Uffner & Liu will broaden its reach beyond New York, with plans to debut at Shanghai’s West Bund Art and Design fair in November and increase representation of Asian American Pacific Islander artists in its programming.” 

As Uffner explained to The Art Newspaper, “It’s not that those audiences have been missing, but over the years we’ve had different priorities. I’m proud of the relationships we’ve built and the artists we’ve championed here in New York—and our recommitment to our physical space downtown is a testament to that—but there is also a desire to engage more deeply with markets outside of the US, as well as markets within the US that we haven’t tapped into.”

Lucy Lui shared some of her vision with The Art Newspaper as well, saying, “Having a younger perspective is essential for the gallery’s growth because the art world and its players and values are constantly evolving. What feels especially fulfilling to me is having the opportunity to welcome new collector groups—people who might not have historically seen themselves as part of the art world, but who are now entering the ecosystem with curiosity and intention. We get to build something meaningful together from the ground up.”

As one example of their talent and work, the exhibition that just closed, Solar Music / Lunar Revel, covered both floors — a layout that hasn’t happened in years. The “solar” floor at street level drew visitors in with radiant energy, while the upstairs “lunar” space invited moods more like reflection. This is contemporary art that looks out to the sky and in toward the mind, all in the same show.

Looking ahead, Uffner & Liu have a packed fall that is filled with exciting and cutting-edge activities. On September 5 they will open two solo shows. Anne Buckwalter’s work will be downstairs in the gallery, while Nianxin Li will be featured upstairs. Anne’s work is described on her website as exploring “the intersection of sexuality and domestic life. Inspired by the folk art traditions of her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, her paintings arrange disparate objects in interior spaces, integrating the erotic with the mundane. By imagining obscure narratives that embrace paradoxes, her work delves into questions about the body, femininity, and desire.” Nianxin Li is a media artist born in Chongqing, China who integrates various cultural backgrounds into her work and focuses on the balance and relationship between the virtual and the physical worlds.

In addition, they will be presenting at The Armory Show from September 4-7 at the Javits Center with a captivating list of artists including: Anne Buckwalter, Arghavan Khosravi, Talia Levitt, Sheree Hovsepian, and Sarah Martin-Nuss. October will see the gallery returning to Frieze London for the first time since 2022. Uffner & Liu are finding ways to appeal to a new generation of art enthusiasts and to showcase new, and experienced, voices.

This year, Uffner & Liu is not just marking a milestone in leadership — it’s showing that a gallery can act as a parent space for ideas. The partnership between Rachel and Lucy shows the many ways collaboration can keep a place fresh. For a lot of people in New York, this name — Uffner & Liu — still stands for a gallery where the artist comes first, and where each year offers work that is both of its time and beyond it.