Rain Lu is an art advisor, a freelance writer, and the Founder of RAINRAIN Gallery. She is based in New York City and often travels to Asia as part of her work. In 2011, she opened her art gallery in China, focusing on supporting emerging Chinese artists. For six years, the gallery has been introducing new artists to Asian audiences and collectors.
After moving to NYC in 2017, the Gallery went through a rebranding under her leadership. This change underscored its commitment to emerging artists and diaspora communities. It transformed into an open, vibrant community that cherishes art and connects diverse cultural perspectives.
Rain’s insights into the art ecosystem/market and interviews have appeared in respected publications like Artnet, Artnews China, Harper’s Bazaar Art China, and more. Her expertise enriches art discussions, enhancing the gallery’s role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and art appreciation.
Hi Rain, thank you for joining us. To start, could you please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background?
Hi, my name is Rain Lu. I grew up in China and spent some years in Australia, with a brief period in South Korea. After finishing my studies, I returned to my hometown, Chengdu, where I founded my gallery in 2011, focusing on emerging Chinese artists.
My father, a historian, writer, and curator, has been a major influence on me in pursuing a career in art and developing my own passion for it. I ran the gallery until 2017 before moving to New York, initially planning for a short stay—but I ended up making it my home. In 2023, I opened a new gallery space under the name RAINRAIN, located at the intersection of Chinatown and Tribeca.
How do you typically begin the process of curating an exhibition? Is it driven by a theme, an artist, or a particular story you want to tell?
At RAINRAIN, the sole focus of our exhibitions is the artists. Whether it’s a solo or group show, everything starts with them. Occasionally, I curate group exhibitions with a specific theme or research-driven narrative that I want to explore. But even then, the process always begins with the artists—their voices, their practices, and their perspectives. In the gallery context, they are the most important.
How much does the physical space influence your decisions when planning an exhibition? Can you give some examples?
The physical space itself doesn’t really constrain me, but since it’s the artists’ work being placed in the space, I see it as more of a consideration on their end. What plays a bigger role, I think, is the space’s location—because space is inherently connected to its environment. Who are the people around it? Who is the audience? That’s something I always take into account.
The most striking contrast is between my former space in China, which was significantly larger, and my current space in New York. They engage with completely different audiences and exist within very different art ecosystems. But whether a space is big or small, I believe great artists will create equally great exhibitions, regardless of their size.
Can you elaborate what unique perspectives or ideas you are hoping to bring to the audience through your gallery’s shows?
For each show, I want to spotlight the artist—their practice, their thoughts, their art, and their relevance to what we are collectively experiencing today. Now that I’m running a gallery in New York, I also reflect on my own experiences—having lived in different cultures at different times—and how that connects to the broader art world, where all kinds of art are made by diversified groups of individuals.
I believe it’s essential to bring this diversity into the gallery space—to bring together different voices and artistic practices, allowing them to interact, spark conversations, and create moments of surprise. It is the creativity and possibilities embedded in this synergy that push things forward. I want to encourage unexpected reactions, new energy, and meaningful connections.
What does “community” mean to you, and how do you see yourself in a community?
There are many ways to define a community—by gender, race, background, or shared interests. But for me, art itself creates a community—one that transcends these categories. It is a universal language, bridging differences and connecting people beyond fixed definitions.
What I hope to build is a space where curiosity, love, respect, and imagination for great art bring people together—beyond labels, beyond boundaries.
Do you have any advice that you would offer to others?
It depends on who the “others” are. But one thing that has always stayed with me is a simple piece of advice from my music teacher in high school in Australia: Follow your heart. That stuck with me, and I’ve been trying to live by it ever since.
My parents and the way I have been raised emphasized the same thing—do what you love, take responsibility, and find your own way to do it well. In the end, I believe it’s about living our lives with a purpose, being a good person, and following our hearts in pursuit of what truly matters.
text & photo courtesy of Rain Lu
- Website: https://www.rainraingallery.com/
- Instagram: @rainraingallery
