Uprise Art

How Designers Guide Clients to Discover and Collect Art with Uprise Art

We met with Tze Chun, founder of Uprise Art, an online gallery for the next generation of art collectors. Uprise Art is on a mission to deliver the gallery experience directly to you so you can discover emerging artists “who have a unique view of the world and a conceptually compelling artistic practice”. Uprise Art has also become a go-to destination for designers to find that perfect statement piece for a design project, or, create an impressive gallery wall for a client. Tze discusses how Uprise Art changes the way people discover, buy, and collect art online, the impact of technology on the art world, and strategic ways designers can help guide their clients to purchase art.

Photos courtesy of Uprise Art


How did you get where you are today?
Tze Chun: I live in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn and Uprise Art is based in Soho. I started Uprise Art seven years ago to create a new kind of gallery experience. For a new art collector, it’s hard to know where to start. Uprise Art makes it easier for people to discover, collect, and engage with original art.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

How does Uprise Art change the way people can buy and collect art online?
TC: Traditional art galleries can be intimidating and hard to navigate. Uprise Art makes it easy to collect original one-of-a-kind artwork. We offer complimentary art advisory, where our in-house art advisors help people find the perfect pieces for their homes or offices. Collectors can learn more about the artist and artwork through the online gallery and the Uprise Art Journal, which features interviews with artists as well as virtual studio visits and home tours with our collectors.

“Uprise Art makes it easier for people to discover, collect, and engage with original art.”

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

What is your criteria and process for sourcing contemporary art from emerging artists?
TC: We look for artists who have a unique view of the world and a conceptually compelling artistic practice. There are many artists creating beautiful work; we’re focused on artists who go one step further and create work that is memorable and meaningful.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

How is Uprise Art different from the other online art gallery marketplaces out there?
TC: We’re highly curated and work closely with our artists and collectors. Whereas marketplaces have endless options but often not enough information, Uprise Art is a gallery first and foremost, and we represent a select number of artists and do the work of finding the best artists. We also offer complimentary art advisory for collectors (and interior designers!). Instead of relying on filtering and sorting, like Amazon and most e-commerce platforms do, our advisors help you discover new artists and fall in love with artwork that you may not have known how to search for.

“There are many artists creating beautiful work; we’re focused on artists who go one step further and create work that is memorable and meaningful.”

Uprise Art

Photo by Alisha Siegel

In your opinion, how has technology affected the art world?

TC: With so many visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, people are now more accustomed to processing visual information. They are regularly curating and collecting, even if only through online boards and feeds, and training their eye. It’s very empowering that people are more in tune with their own tastes and aesthetic interests. As a gallery owner, I think technology helps people more quickly identify when a piece of art really speaks to them.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo, Design by Workshop/APD

Tell us about your “Art Under $800” section of your platform…
TC: There are two sections of our website, “Discover” and “Art Under $800”. Both feature only one-of-a-kind, original artwork. We launched “Art Under $800” last year as a way to highlight affordable pieces (some start at $60!), and help new collectors start collecting unique pieces.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

How does the Uprise Art Installment Plan work exactly?
TC: For any works in the Discover section, we offer a simple installment plan of 10 months or 20 months, with no interest. With our installment plan, collectors can live with art now, while purchasing over time.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo, Design by Workshop/APD

What kind of consultation services do you offer interior designers?

TC: We are the go-to art source for many interior designers and architects and no project is too small or too large. From coordinating a gallery wall to finding a statement piece or outfitting an entire home with original artwork, we work closely with designers to find artwork that complements their vision and fits their client’s budget.

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

How does the Uprise Art experience ease the sourcing, buying and shipping process for interior designers?

TC: We provide a full suite of artwork services for designers and their clients. From complementary art curation and recommendations on placement to coordinating custom framing and shipping, our advisors take care of art needs from start to finish. Based on a designer’s mood boards, or floor plans (or even just iPhone photos or a phone call!), we curate a selection of artwork options to be shared with their clients. Whatever the timeline, we help with all the logistics, from large-scale projects to last-minute framing, and we also offer special trade-only discounts.

“From coordinating a gallery wall to finding a statement piece or outfitting an entire home with original artwork, we work closely with designers to find artwork that complements their vision and fits their client’s budget.”

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve Garruppo

What are 3 tips of “best practices” to offer interior designers for making the most out of Uprise Art?
1) Connect with a personal art advisor at advisors@upriseart.com

2) Share project notes with your advisor, such as: photos of the space, dimensions, mood boards,
and budget. Let them know if there were specific artists in the online gallery that caught your eye!

3) When your advisor curates artwork options, narrow down to your favorites before presenting
options to your client.

Uprise Art

Photo by Alexandra Rowley, Design by StudioDB

For the designers dealing with clients who don’t know “where to start” with art but want to purchase, what are some strategic ways to understand a client’s needs?

TC: Art and design are similar in that artwork should be an expression of a client’s interests, style and lifestyle. At the end of the day, it’s about finding artwork that the client loves, so the journey of discovering artwork is important in order to arrive at the right piece. If clients don’t know where to start, we suggest keeping an open mind and making sure clients know the story behind the artwork and the artist. Sometimes clients will say they like one kind of art, but the piece they end up falling in love with is completely different, so we always cast the net wide in terms of medium and style, and find works that resonate with the client because of their subject matter or story. Designers also have the option of putting clients directly in touch with one of our art advisors- they’ll be in great hands!

“At the end of the day, it’s about finding artwork that the client loves, so the journey of discovering artwork is important in order to arrive at the right piece.”

Uprise Art

Photo by Genevieve-Garruppo, Design by Nina Freudenberger and Bryn Schuyler of Haus Interior

What’s next for Uprise Art?

TC: We’ve had a few art fairs and exhibitions lined up for 2018, we’re working on a number of exciting projects with architects here in NYC, and, a few across the country as well. Curating for these large spaces is a thrill because we’re able to really craft the experience of the space through artwork. As always, we’re constantly growing our roster of artists and finding new pieces to introduce to collectors.


Ivy is the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.