The Frieze New York Private Collection event offered a rare opportunity for artists, collectors, and cultural leaders to gather in a warm and intimate setting. This exclusive visit was hosted by New York–based collector Priya Karani, whose sharp eye and deep passion for contemporary art shaped the atmosphere of the evening. Held during one of New York’s busiest art weeks, the event brought fresh energy, open dialogue, and a global spirit to the city’s cultural scene.

MeSo Ventures teams with Frieze Connect: A Growing Presence in New York

The event was a collaboration between MeSo Ventures, Frieze Official, and Frieze Connect, bringing together two powerful communities in the global art world. Their shared mission is to create access, build community, and encourage meaningful dialogue. As a result, the evening flowed with curiosity and connection.

MeSo Ventures, though anchored in London, is expanding its international reach. Its presence in New York has strengthened noticeably, due in part to the organisation’s thoughtful leadership and regular involvement in the city’s cultural programming.

Michael Santiesteban, Priya Karani Alibhai & Eirini Meze

Artists on Display: Xu Yang, Mary Pye & Alicja Kwade

The MeSo Frieze New York Private Collection visit highlighted three artists whose works reflect transformation, identity, and the nature of perception:

Mary Pye

Mary Pye is a British artist whose quiet, contemplative practice reflects a deep engagement with stillness, presence, and the meditative possibilities of paint. Trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, her work is characterised by layered applications of pigment that are laid down, shifted, and sometimes withdrawn, creating surfaces that unfold slowly and invite prolonged attention. These paintings move with a delicate emotional rhythm, where the tension between what appears and what recedes becomes a space for reflection and quiet resonance. Mary’s recent solo exhibition at Bvlgari in London marked an important milestone in her career, and her work continues to draw attention for its delicate emotional rhythm.

In a room filled with more assertive visual languages, Mary Pye’s quiet compositions added a sense of calm and introspection, encouraging visitors to slow down and engage with the gentle rhythms of her surfaces. The emotional subtlety and reflective depth of her work continue to draw attention from collectors, curators, and critics alike, suggesting a practice that resonates not through spectacle, but through presence, patience, and perceptive seeing.

Mary Pye work at Priya Karani’s residence

Xu Yang

Xu Yang is a London-based Chinese multidisciplinary artist whose work powerfully investigates identity, gender, and cultural narrative through a visually rich and symbolic language. Born in Shandong, China in 1996, she trained in painting at Wimbledon College of Arts and later earned an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in London. Her practice spans painting, performance, and photography, creating staged worlds that intricately weave her own image with broader cultural histories and contemporary discourses.

The art explores identity through lush, symbolic imagery, drawing on a wide range of references — from 17th- and 18th-century European art history and Rococo aesthetics to drag performance, cabaret, and pop culture. Xu Yang often uses herself as model and performer, transforming her body with costume, makeup, and props to confront and unravel the social constructions of femininity, beauty, and self-representation. This process allows her to question how identity is shaped, performed, and perceived in contemporary society, particularly through the lens of gender and the male gaze.

Xu Yang “Amor Vincit Omnia / Love Conquers All” 2025

Alicja Kwade

Alicja Kwade is a globally recognised Polish-German contemporary artist whose work consistently challenges viewers to rethink structure, time, and physical reality. Born in 1979 in Katowice, Poland, and based in Berlin, Kwade has built an internationally celebrated practice that spans sculpture, installation, video, and photography, exploring the ways in which we perceive and construct our world.

At the heart of Kwade’s conceptual practice is a probing investigation into how time, space, science, and philosophy shape our understanding of reality. Her sculptures and environments often manipulate everyday materials — such as mirrors, stone, steel, clocks, and found objects — transforming them into poetic and unsettling assemblages that reveal the hidden assumptions underlying our sense of order and logic. Through reflection, repetition, and strategic distortion, her work invites audiences to confront the fluidity and subjectivity of what we take for granted as ‘real.’

Documented Through the Eye of Photographer Krimesh

The atmosphere of the evening was captured by photographer Krimesh, whose work has been featured in Vogue India, Elle USA, and Elle India. His images revealed the genuine warmth of the gathering. They also highlighted the thoughtful interactions between guests, the artworks, and Priya Karani’s thoughtfully curated space.

A Celebration of Access, Community & Cultural Dialogue

Above all, the event embodied MeSo Ventures’ core values: access, community, and dialogue. The presence of a collector like Priya Karani and her openness encouraged guests to ask questions, share impressions, and connect on a deeper level.

The collaboration with Frieze reflected a shared belief that art grows when communities grow. When artists, collectors, and institutions come together, the result is powerful and lasting.

Looking Ahead: MeSo Ventures Global Path Forward

The success of the MeSo Ventures Frieze New York Private Collection visit marks only the beginning. MeSo Ventures is preparing more international gatherings, collaborations, and collector engagements. Each event builds a wider network that supports artists while also creating space for thoughtful collectors like Priya Karani to share their vision.

The future holds more cross-cultural moments, more artistic exploration, and more opportunities for dialogue. This night, however, will be remembered as a meaningful step in the global journey.

Frieze New York Private Collection: An Intimate Visit with Collector Priya Karani Alibhai