JULIA CHIANG AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER
NEW YORK, NY - This Fall, artist Julia Chiang will debut a new public art exhibition, This Way That Way, Here, at Rockefeller Center that will feature Chiang’s signature blend of color, form, and emotion at a larger-than-life scale. Presented by Art Production Fund and Rockefeller Center, the site-specific installation will feature Chiang’s stunningly vivid images and a selection of ceramic vessels, inviting audiences to encounter her deeply personal work in an unexpected urban setting.
Julia’s presentation is part of the ongoing Art in Focus program, now in its seventh year, presented at Rockefeller Center in partnership with Art Production Fund. As part of the presentation, Chiang and Art Production Fund will host a free and public children’s interactive art-making workshop on site at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, September 6 from 10am-1pm as part of the Art Sundae program. This Art Sundae workshop is made possible with generous support from Leatherology.
Julia Chiang is known for her carefully constructed, detailed paintings in which intricate webs of shapes small and large converge across colorful backgrounds. Installed throughout the iconic Rockefeller Center campus, the exhibition will blur the lines between intimacy and monumentality, offering a rare opportunity to experience Chiang’s vision on a massive scale.
In the vitrine spaces of 45 Rockefeller Plaza, visitors will find three immersive colorful installations that invite viewers to find pause amidst a bustling city center. Within the windows, Chiang’s imagery will be displayed in conversation with intimate hand-built ceramic vessels, creating a layered visual experience that bridges scale, material, and emotion. Each window radiating its own mood suggests shifting feelings, from joy and tenderness to contemplation, reflecting the emotional range at the heart of Chiang’s practice.
From these vivid, glass-encased worlds, Chiang’s vision spills out across Rockefeller Center where her work reveals itself in unexpected corners in moments of color and delight. Awash in bright, saturated hues, visitors will look closely and find intricate hand-drawn details embedded within the bold designs. Together, they form a tranquil treasure hunt across the campus, transforming the act of moving through the space into an experience of discovery and connection. Artwork locations include 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 50 Rockefeller Plaza and more.
Lastly, an expansive 125-foot mural stretches across the lower concourse of 45 Rockefeller Plaza. Here Chiang brings together a sweeping presentation of imagery, enveloping viewers in a continuous flow of color and gesture. From a distance, the mural reads as a vibrant pathway, while up close it reveals the subtleties of brushwork, layered textures, and recurring motifs that thread through Chiang’s practice.
"I’m excited by the opportunity to have my work shown at Rockefeller Center. I imagined what it would be like to just float through the labyrinth of spaces, tunnel-like hallways, crossing from interior to exterior and back, focusing on the various air changes, from crowds to more private spaces, the sounds and the stories, both vulnerable and bold…and I landed here, collaging my work, connecting things from the past to create something personal and public within these shared spaces." - JULIA CHIANG, ARTIST
“Chiang’s Art in Focus installation immerses the public in washes of serene layered color and abstract designs. The seductive and colorful images, in dialogue with the ceramic vessels draw viewers into their depth, transforming the surrounding environment and one’s experience of Rockefeller Center” - CASEY FREMONT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ART PRODUCTION FUND
“Julia Chiang’s installation will bring a burst of beauty and emotion to Rockefeller Center. Her work, as part of the Art in Focus program, invites New Yorkers to discover moments of joy and wonder—reminding us that even in the most familiar places, there’s always room for surprise.” - EB KELLY, SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR AT TISHMAN SPEYER AND HEAD OF ROCKEFELLER CENTER
JULIA CHIANG lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She received a degree in Art History and Studio Art from New York University. Solo exhibitions include Run Like the Rain, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco (2025); Secret Smile, The Modern Institute, Glasgow (2025); Julia Chiang: The Glows and The Blows, Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York (2024); Salt on Our Skin, Nicola Vassell Gallery, New York (2023); Holding My Breath Moving Closer Closer, The Modern Institute, Glasgow (2020) and Pump And Bump, NANZUKA, Tokyo (2019). Public projects include the Rockaway Hotel mural in Far Rockaway, Queens, and the RxArt mural at the Nappi Wellness Institute, SUNY Upstate, Syracuse, New York.
ART IN FOCUS is a multidisciplinary program that showcases installations by contemporary artists inspired by the New York City landscape and contemporary life. Artists featured in the series will have their work displayed in a number of prominent and unexpected public locations throughout Rockefeller Center. Art in Focus is presented in partnership with Rockefeller Center and Art Production Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences, and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Past Art in Focus artists include Joana Avillez, Hein Koh, Portia Munson, LaKela Brown, Lucy Sparrow, Angelica Hicks, Vanessa German, Ryan Flores, Genevieve Gaignard, Oliver Jeffers, Hiba Schahbaz, Sanford Biggers, Hilary Pecis, Maurice Harris, Lisa Congdon, Max Colby, Hugo McCloud, Emily Mullin, Arghavan Khosravi, Lorraine Nam, Joel Gaitan, Basil Kincaid, Dominique Fung, Debbie Lawson, Melissa Joseph, Joel Mesler, Shantell Martin, Jake Clark, Will Cotton and Greg Ito.
ROCKEFELLER CENTER is a global icon, built nearly a century ago by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as a “city within the city.” Today, under the stewardship of owner and operator Tishman Speyer, its collection of art deco buildings surrounding the world-renowned plaza and Rink together comprise the city’s most dynamic destination to work, play, dine, and shop. The Center has embarked on a revitalization to deepen the unparalleled sense of New York City soul on campus, including a reimagination of the Rink Level completed in 2022,the introduction of The Beam visitor experience at the Top of the Rock observation deck in 2023. New Yorkers and visitors to the Center enjoy art, shopping, dining, leisure, and entertainment experiences from the city’s brightest and most creative talents. For more information, visit rockefellercenter.com.
ART PRODUCTION FUND is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Past projects include: Elmgreen & Dragset, “Prada Marfa,” Valentine, TX; Ugo Rondinone, “Seven Magic Mountains,” Las Vegas; Jeff Koons, “Seated Ballerina,” Rockefeller Center, NYC; Zoe Buckman, “CHAMP,” LA; Raul de Nieves “When I Look In To Your Eyes I See the Sun,” Miami; Nancy Baker Cahill “Liberty Bell”, multiple cities; Sanford Biggers “Oracle”, Rockefeller Center, NYC and Hammer Museum, LA; Derrick Adams “Funtime Unicorns”, Rockefeller Center, NYC. Frieze Projects LA 2023-2025, LA. www.artproductionfund.org
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