What Onishi Gallery does

Onishi Gallery is a privately held New York-based art gallery founded in 2005 that promotes Japanese and Asian contemporary art, with a specialized focus on KOGEI (contemporary traditional craft art). The gallery represents an exclusive roster of Japanese artists that includes multiple Living National Treasures (Ningen Kokuhō) and certified preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties, featuring works in maki-e lacquerware, Kutani porcelain, tankin metalwork, and contemporary ceramics by artists such as Onihira Keiji, Yoshita Miori, Tokuda Yasokichi III, Ōsumi Yukie, and Konno Tomoko.

The gallery operates a dual physical footprint with a primary location at 521 W 26th Street in Chelsea and a secondary space at 16 E 79th Street on the Upper East Side. Its technical infrastructure is built on the Artlogic platform, which provides the public-facing website, an integrated e-commerce store, a digital viewing room for browsing inventory, and back-end exhibition and inventory management. Stripe payment processing enables direct online transactions. Distribution is multi-channel: the physical galleries, the Artlogic e-commerce site, the Artsy online marketplace, and booth presence at prestigious art fairs including Salon Art + Design at Park Avenue Armory and Asia Week New York. The gallery also pursues off-site exhibitions, most notably the 2026 Tōhen show co-curated with Galleria Barbara Paci in Pietrasanta, Italy.

The business model is a quote-based, one-time transaction sales model typical of fine art galleries: pricing is not publicly disclosed and buyers must inquire through the website. Revenue derives from direct artwork sales to individual collectors (primary segment), museums and institutions seeking works for permanent collections (secondary segment), and interior designers integrating Japanese craft into Western design projects (secondary segment). Marketing is conducted through organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Artsy), an email mailing list, and high-touch physical exhibition openings. The gallery is operated by Nana Onishi, with a lean team of 1-10 employees and no disclosed outside investors, parent company, or institutional ownership.

Name

Onishi Gallery

Legal name

Onishi Gallery

Website

https://onishigallery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Onishi Gallery is a New York-based, privately held art gallery founded in 2005 that promotes Japanese KOGEI contemporary craft art, exclusively representing Living National Treasures and leading artists in lacquerware, ceramics, and metalwork to collectors, museums, and interior designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Gallery

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Art Dealers (45992)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Japanese art gallery
• Contemporary craft art
• Traditional ceramics
• KOGEI artworks
• Fine art dealer

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Art Sales: Primary revenue from direct sales of Japanese KOGEI artworks including ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork, and textiles through the gallery's physical space, online store, and viewing room. Sales are one-time transactions with unique art pieces.
2. Art Fair Exhibitions: Revenue from participation in prestigious art fairs including Salon Art + Design at Park Avenue Armory and Asia Week New York, where the gallery showcases represented artists and makes sales to fair attendees.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Onishi Gallery is a New York-based art gallery that sells Japanese KOGEI (contemporary traditional craft art) including ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork, and textiles through a physical gallery, online store, digital viewing room, and art fair exhibitions. The gallery represents multiple Japanese artists including Living National Treasures (Ningen Kokuhō) and offers museum-quality artworks for sale via inquiry-based purchasing, with checkout supported through Stripe payment processing on the Artlogic-powered website.

Product overview

Onishi Gallery is a Japanese KOGEI (contemporary craft art) gallery specializing in traditional Japanese arts including porcelain, lacquerware, and metalwork. The gallery operates as a unified platform combining an online store for purchasing artworks, curated exhibitions (both physical at their NYC gallery and off-site venues), a digital viewing room for browsing pieces, and direct representation of Living National Treasures and leading contemporary Japanese artists. Their product portfolio centers on showcasing and selling museum-quality works by artists like Onihira Keiji (lacquer), Yoshita Miori (Kutani porcelain), Tokuda Yasokichi III (ceramics), Ōsumi Yukie (metalwork), and Konno Tomoko (contemporary porcelain), all united by their mastery of traditional Japanese craft techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Onishi Gallery Online Store E-commerce platform for purchasing Japanese KOGEI artworks, including ceramics, lacquerware, and metalwork from represented artists. Features secure checkout powered by Stripe with credit card payment processing for individual collectors.
• Art Exhibitions Curated exhibitions at the Chelsea and Upper East Side gallery spaces, plus off-site international exhibitions, featuring contemporary Japanese KOGEI artists including Living National Treasures. Past exhibitions include 'Tōhen', 'Color of Blue in KOGEI', 'The Four Elements in Japanese Arts', and 'Contemporary Japanese Porcelain'.
• Digital Viewing Room A digital viewing room allowing collectors to browse and examine artworks online before initiating purchase or inquiry, extending the gallery experience to remote collectors.
• Onihira Keiji Lacquerware Collection Maki-e (sprinkled precious metal powder) and raden (shell inlay) lacquer boxes and trays by urushi artist Onihira Keiji (b. 1973), featuring celestial themes using materials including gold, abalone shell, quail eggshell, and dry lacquer. Available for purchase via inquiry through the gallery.
• Yoshita Miori Kutani Porcelain Collection Porcelain works with gold underglaze (yūri-kinsai technique) by Living National Treasure Yoshita Miori (b. 1932), including plates, jars, vases, sake cups, and incense burners featuring intricate brocade-like designs in red enamel and gold.
• Tokuda Yasokichi III Kutani Ceramics Collection Kutani ware ceramics by Living National Treasure Tokuda Yasokichi III (1933-2009), known for the saiyū glaze technique creating vivid colored glazes with subtle gradations and luminous contrasts in cobalt blue, purple, green, and yellow.
• Ōsumi Yukie Metalwork Collection Hammered metal vessels (tankin) by Living National Treasure Ōsumi Yukie (b. 1945), the first female metalwork artist to receive this honor, featuring nunome zōgan (textile imprint inlay) technique with wind, waves, clouds, and streams motifs.
• Konno Tomoko Porcelain Sculpture Collection Organic, otherworldly porcelain sculptures by Konno Tomoko (b. 1967), featuring marbleized multicolored porcelain clay worked into protuberances resembling seed-like cells or insectivorous plant forms.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Galleria Barbara PaciflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2026Galleria Barbara Paci in Pietrasanta, Italy serves as the co-curator and host venue for Onishi Gallery's off-site exhibition Tōhen (陶片), running May 31 - July 4, 2026. This partnership features Japanese ceramic Living National Treasures Yoshita Minori and Tokuda Yasokichi III alongside Italian artist Agostino Rocco, creating a dialogue between Japanese and Italian traditions.
• ArtlogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationArtlogic provides the gallery's website platform, including the online store, viewing room functionality, exhibition management, and inventory system. The website footer notes 'Site by Artlogic'.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe is the payment processing provider for the gallery's online store and checkout system, enabling secure transactions for artwork purchases.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global auction house with a dedicated Asian Art department that competes with Onishi for sales of high-end Japanese craft and works by named artists. Operates at much larger scale across primary and secondary markets.
• Sundaram Tagore Gallery: International contemporary art gallery with locations in New York and Asia. Comparable to Onishi as a gallery that exhibits Japanese and Asian contemporary artists to Western audiences, though with a broader portfolio across cultures and media.
• Pace Gallery: Major global contemporary art gallery with deep institutional relationships and substantial fair presence. Represents a much broader art portfolio but competes for the same high-end collector and museum attention at events like Asia Week New York.
• Japan Society Gallery: New York-based non-profit institution exhibiting Japanese art including contemporary craft. Comparable to Onishi as a presenter of Japanese art to New York audiences, though operating as a non-profit museum/exhibition space rather than commercial gallery.

Direct peers

• Ippodo Gallery: Gallery with New York and Tokyo locations specializing in contemporary Japanese art and crafts. Direct competitor in showcasing Japanese traditional and contemporary artists to Western collectors.
• Joan B Mirviss Ltd: New York gallery specializing in modern and contemporary Japanese art, including ceramics, lacquerware, and metalwork. Directly comparable to Onishi in focus on Japanese craft and overlap in artist representation (e.g., Living National Treasure-adjacent artists).
• Scholten Japanese Art: New York gallery specializing in Japanese fine art including woodblock prints, paintings, and works on paper. Comparable New York-based, founder-run Japanese art specialist operating in the same collector network.
• Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. New York gallery focused on contemporary Japanese fine art and crafts, including ceramics and lacquerware. Targets the same collector and institutional base as Onishi Gallery with overlapping representation of senior Japanese artists.

Others

• Artlogic: Provider of Onishi Gallery's website, e-commerce, viewing room, and inventory management platform. Comparable as a key technology vendor serving the niche of art galleries and dealers globally.

Regional players

• Galleria Barbara Paci: Italian gallery in Pietrasanta that co-hosts Onishi's 'Tōhen' exhibition. Comparable as a curated European venue for high-end craft and contemporary work, and a confirmed strategic partner of Onishi.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuELZjYclK90N7AgtzThF9Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/onishigallery
• Instagraminstagram.com/onishigallery/?hl=en
• Xx.com/onishigallery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onishi-gallery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Onishi Gallery