When you come to visit Leona Craig’s new art gallery, LC Yilang (Chinese for Art Gallery) on Gui Gang Three Road (Chinese pinyin: Gui Gang San Ma Lu), in Dongshan Kou, you don’t just come for the art, in the gallery, but also for the art that is all around this hidden jewel of a district, in the center of Guangzhou.  The neighborhood was, originally, built up by Baptists and Overseas Chinese, in the early part of the twentieth century, followed by the political elite, and even Mao Zedong had a house down the block.  While others open galleries in the next new hot art districts, Leona Craig Art has quietly taken up residence in an undiscovered, yet, utterly hip part of town, in old Guangzhou.  It is the first foreign-run gallery, in Guangzhou

Craig Mattoli, the curator of the collection and the head of international sales, lived in artsy parts of New York City, including Soho and Chelsea, in the 1970’s, before they became stylish.  Now, he has discovered the Soho of Guangzhou, Dongshan Kou, across the water, north of Ersha Dao Island, in an area of small houses that are stealthily being restored. Having created an “art inn” from an 18^th century estate that he restored, in the 1990’s, near the artist community of New Hope, Pennsylvania, Mattoli has an appreciation for the art of building, decoration, and restoration.  “Prior to stumbling onto this section of Guangzhou, I was surprised to find that so many beautiful old buildings, in China, were left to crumble, while skyscrapers replace them.  I was so pleased when I discovered this area.”  Mattoli says.

Already, more than the art of restoration is developing in Dongshan Kou.  There are other delights, in the neighborhood, waiting to be discovered, and a short walk to the south takes you to Ersha Dao where the Guangdong Provincial Museum of Art is located.  “I immediately loved the area when I first saw it, and I knew that this was the place that I wanted to open a gallery,” Mattoli said, “In fact, even though some of the other houses in the area have a more formal feel, I was drawn to the bi-level loft spaces in this building, and I love the more Bohemian atmosphere of this unassuming neighborhood: it reminds me of areas where I live and played, in other major cities in North America and Europe.  Besides, to really understand the art of a people, you need to immerse yourself in the culture, not hide in some chic enclave, insulated from it.”  This particular part of the Dongshan Kou is known as the turtle’s back because it is a on a hump, in the center of the area.

Mattoli began collecting Chinese art when he came to China, five years ago, first, finding teapot art.  As time went on, he discovered more and more forms of Chinese art, including contemporary oil painting.  In business, as a private investor for two decades, including in art and antiques from America and Europe, Mattoli also realized that the best investment opportunity, in China, was art.  “I’ve been collecting art of various sorts since grade school, and I have been trading in art for several decades.  I believe that my eye and my experience can contribute to the development of the local markets for art,” Mattoli offers.

For the past several years, his Leona Craig Art business has been selling Chinese art around the world.  Now, he believes that it is an appropriate time to ratchet up the awakening of local Chinese to the value, both financial and psychological, of art and decoration, and, thus, he created this adorable local gallery.  “The idea of home decoration is not so much a part of the present local culture, as it is in the West,” Mattoli notes, “but, as with many other Western trends, the Chinese are gradually catching on, and art and decoration will become more a part of Modern China, as time goes on.”

The gallery will offer people an opportunity to experience modern oil paintings, sculpture, hand-embroidered pictures, and teapot art.  Although the space is not huge, Mattoli says he liked it more for the artistry of its restoration than for its physical size.  “As we become more popular, the building offers opportunity for the gallery to expand upward though it,” Mattoli points out, “On the other hand, if we tried to make a gallery to fit all of the art that’s on our website, it would be overwhelming, anyway.  We moved here so that people could get a taste of modern Chinese art, then, go on to discover the overall art, tranquility, and natural beauty of this area of Guangzhou: it gives them more reason to want to return to visit us.”  The gallery will also offer a physical place for collectors and artists, alike, to find Leona Craig Art, in China, itself.  “We’ve only begun to discover Chinese artists, and we’d like to discover more.  The local gallery presents the opportunity for more artists to find us, instead of just on the internet or at shows.  Now, they can come and knock on our door,”  Mattoli says.  He also points out that, through the Leona Craig Art website, he can help artists reach a more international audience, and that, in addition to introducing their art to collectors, Leona Craig Art has gotten artists, whom are already in the collection, noticed by magazines, museums, and book publishers.  Located on number 11 Gui Gang 3 Ma Lu, LC Yilang will be run by Ayu Chen.

Contact:
Ayu Chen, Guangzhou, China: 86 136 3240 7809
Craig Mattoli, Guangzhou, China: 86 136 3241 0877
Website: http://www.leonacraig.com



11 Gui Gang Three Road, Dongshan Kou, Yuexiu district,
Guangzhou, China 510080
广州市越秀区东山口龟岗三马路11号
086 020 37625069