Flashback to 2009 and a $10 million refurbishment of a knitting factory… an eye
will spy a plethora of contemporary Chinese art which fills the walls and vast floor
space of a three storey building.
The White Rabbit Gallery was launched in August 2009 by 69 year old Judith
Neilson in Chippendale, Sydney. This growing gallery is one of Australia’s few,
privately funded public art spaces—solely supported by the philanthropic
Neilson Foundation. The gallery was inspired by Neilson on a trip to Beijing in
2001, where she was exposed to the emerging art works of young Chinese men
and women. With a love of artistic expression, Neilson has created a
masterpiece in itself.
The gallery features hand-picked contemporary Chinese artworks created no
earlier than the year 2000. Neilson spends more than 40 days a year in China
searching the backstreets for artworks that evokes emotion. In early 2015, Neilson
had over 1,400 works from more than 500 artists—creating the largest private
stockpile of contemporary Chinese art in the world. As a result of the extensive
number of pieces, the gallery showcases two exhibitions a year, closing in
February and August.