This Gen Z art collective connects artists from East Asia & NYC

Stilllife, the Gen Z art collective, is bringing another pop-up market to NYC.

This young group of creatives is working on closing the gap between art in the East and West through art shows, newsletters, curated content and, of course, art markets. This will be its third market, taking place in Washington Square Park North on August 10 from 10am to 6pm.    

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The group was founded by four NYU alumni in 2022 and already, Stilllife has already hosted over 10 events in New York and Shanghai. As they struggled with post-uni life Stilllife’s founding members realized they weren’t alone and there was a need for community among them. “We, as founding members, also experienced the struggles of navigating the New York art scene. Recognizing this shared struggle, we, as their peers, felt compelled to establish a community where we could mutually support one another,” they’ve shared in a statement. Stilllife aims to create this next-generation art community that both breaks geographical limits and influences trends. 

At the market, there will be over 60 stands hawking anything and everything from ceramics and jewelry to publications and outdoor gear. It is tailored towards the Gen Z style and age, but don’t let that stop you if you’re older. Some of the vendors include accessory brands like Twelve, My Dearest World and Pemako as well as independent publishers like FAR-NEAR and Special Special, these cross-cultural publications are intended to broaden the perspective of Asia through image, idea, person and history. 

The market will also include the StillShop collection. StillShop is an off-shoot of Stilllife which simply offers another way to engage with art in day-to-day life. This series collection is titled “Cabinet of Curiosities,” which is a curated selection of eight Chinese brands: YRGD, the coming, LELALES, SoftServe, 1ER, herherlin, Tagi., THEYKNOW and tenttent. The collection is meant to reflect society’s current draw to independent creative designs over mass-produced, one-dimensional objects. If you can’t make the market, you can check out the collection online.  

The market is free but you can RSVP here. Dragon Fest, the Chinese food festival, will also be happening simultaneously in Washington Square Park, so not only can you browse through amazing creative vendors, but you can also satisfy your culinary desires.