We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nunu Hung a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nunu, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story, but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I come from a family of educators, which in Taiwan is a secure form of government employment. But in 2014, after five years working for art dealers in New York and Singapore, I decided to open my own gallery in Taipei. I took a 2,000-square-foot space and started showing both international artists and emerging Taiwanese artists. Nunu Fine Art, the first truly global contemporary art gallery in Taipei, was a surprising success. But by 2019, I began to feel restless and somewhat confined in Taiwan. It was then, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, that I decided to cash in every asset I had accumulated and gamble on opening a second venue in New York, the world capital of contemporary art–and the most competitive art environment on earth. I spent two and a half years and an enormous sum of money rehabbing a space on New York’s Lower East Side. Fortunately my first three shows–for Cuban artists Alex Hernández-Dueñas and Ariamna Contino, Taiwan’s Chiao-Han Chueh, and German conceptual painter Peter Zimmermann–were critically well-received and generated enough sales to secure the gallery’s continued operation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For two years in Taipei, I worked in a PR agency, serving clients such Nike, Epson, and Apple. Then I moved to New York in 2004 and eventually began assisting (and learning from) various art dealers. In 2011 I started to promote art in Hong Kong and Singapore and to appreciate the burgeoning art scene in Southeast Asia. I opened my galleries with the intention of helping my clients learn about the global contemporary art scene and the value–aesthetic, sociopolitical, and commercial–of artworks by some of today’s most exciting practitioners. My gallery in Taipei quickly gained a reputation as the city’s–and thus the country’s–most innovative and adventurous art venue. In New York, I offer both a broad international selection of rising artists and a firsthand insight into the Asian art scene and market.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

Not only have I never missed a payroll, but–in an unconventional business milieux notorious for slow payment, nonpayment, and financial chicanery–I religiously pay my artists immediately upon sale of their works, while conferring conscientiously with clients to enable them to spread out their payments over time.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I base my reputation on the quality of my shows and the worthiness of the artists I represent. I refuse all offers of “pre-sold” exhibitions or pay-to-play arrangements. I must believe in the work I represent. When speaking to collectors, as well as to critics, I emphasize solely the artistic merits of the work, not its speculative potential as an investment. Although this may sound counter-intuitive in a strictly business sense, I have found that it pays greater rewards over time. And I am in this endeavor for the long haul.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nunufineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nunufineart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nunufineartgallery
• Linkedin: Nunu Fine Art

Image Credits
Martin Seck