China Institute Gallery

September 10, 2025 – January 11, 2026
100 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, New York

Metamorphosis: Chinese Imagination and Transformation brings together works by 28 contemporary artists of Chinese descent who explore transformation across personal, cultural, historical, and material dimensions. Through painting, sculpture, photography, animation, and installation, these artists, spanning generations and geographies, experiment with both Eastern and Western artistic traditions to reveal shifting forms of identity and perception.

Many works are shown in the U.S. for the first time, including major new commissions such as Sun Xun’s recent paintings and Bingyi’s immersive Dream Chamber.

Organized around four broad themes, Metamorphosis of the Body and Self, Metamorphosis of the Environment and Natural World, Historical and Cultural Metamorphosis, and Spiritual Metamorphosis, the exhibition offers a multidimensional look at change as both a creative force and a reflection of contemporary life.

Curated by Dr. Susan L. Beningson

As part of Metamorphosis, a special presentation titled Offering the Spiritual highlights Ming Fay’s enduring engagement with nature within urban spaces. Reflecting on his public art practice, Fay once wrote:

“In modern urban environments, the need for a reminder of the natural world is particularly significant and necessary. In my work, I strive to demonstrate the wonder of even the humblest forms, lending the viewer a new appreciation of the ordinary.”

This section showcases three of Fay’s New York City public projects—Enigma Elm (1995), Shad Crossing and Delancey Orchard (2004), and Whitehall Crossing (2005), through photographs, preparatory sketches, maquettes, and reproductions. Together, they reveal Fay’s lifelong dialogue between nature, material transformation, and the spiritual vitality of urban life.