Qualia Contemporary Art

About Qualia Contemporary Art

Qualia Contemporary Art is a commercial art gallery at 229 Hamilton Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. It was founded in 2020. The gallery shows work across mediums by emerging and established artists from Asia and its diasporas, spanning several generations. It describes Palo Alto as a place where technology, innovation and global cultures meet. Its program pairs traditional practices with contemporary ones in its program.

The co-founder and director is Dacia Xu, who holds a Ph.D. in materials science and has a background in science, technology and academia. The gallery says her training shapes its interest in cross-disciplinary shows and public programs. Qualia moved its website to qualiagallery.com, so older links to its previous address may still circulate.

Artists and reach

Qualia represents a roster of gallery artists that includes Paul DeMarinis, Nick Dong, Younhee Paik, Wang Tiande, Yang Jiechang, Stella Zhang and Zhang Yu, among others. It has also exhibited work by artists such as Hung Liu, Xu Bing, Gu Wenda and Zhang Xiaogang. The gallery says its represented and exhibited artists are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, SFMOMA, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the Centre Pompidou. Some have shown at major biennials including Venice and Documenta.

Qualia takes part in international art fairs. It lists EXPO Chicago, Art Central and West Bund Art & Design among them. It is showing at West Bund Art & Design in Shanghai from November 10 to 15, 2026.

Exhibitions in 2026

• Hung Liu: Mixed Mediations (January 14 to February 28): sketches made while Liu worked as a farm laborer in the Chinese countryside from 1968 to 1972, during the Cultural Revolution.
• Younhee Paik: Reaching and The Periodic Table and Integrated Circuits, with Vernon Fisher and Wen Zhongyan (both May 16 to July 18).
• Beyond the Endgame: Nine Artists from Paris (September 26 to November 14): curated by Martina Köppel-Yang, with artists including Yang Jiechang, Wang Du, Chen Zhen and Du Zhenjun.
• Me, Nature, As One (November 21, 2026 to January 2, 2027).

The fall show, Beyond the Endgame, brings together nine Paris-based artists of Chinese descent from three generations. The gallery frames it as a response to a region shaped by fast technological change and artificial intelligence. The spring pairing of Wen Zhongyan and Vernon Fisher set Wen's memorials to old Beijing beside Fisher's paintings of charts, codes and diagrams, a theme that lands differently a few blocks from the startups of University Avenue. Younhee Paik, now in her eighth decade, trained early in Seoul and works across Eastern and Western traditions.

The gallery's exhibitions page keeps an archive of past shows. Its news page posts events and fair appearances.

Visiting the gallery

Qualia is open Tuesday through Saturday, with later hours until 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday visits are by appointment. The gallery is on the block of Hamilton Avenue between Emerson and Ramona streets, a short walk from University Avenue. Questions about works or appointments go to info@qualiagallery.com or 650-656-9132. The website has a newsletter sign-up for show announcements.

Who it suits

Qualia suits collectors interested in contemporary Asian and Asian diaspora art. It also suits anyone who wants to see work by artists held in major museum collections in a small downtown room. Visitors new to the field can use the exhibition texts on the website as a primer before they go.

Tips

• Check dates before you go. Beyond the Endgame ends November 14 and the next show opens November 21, 2026, so confirm what is on view if you plan to visit that week.
• Combine a visit with other art downtown and on campus. Our public art guide maps sculptures around town. The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford is free.
• For an evening out, the Friday and Saturday hours make the gallery an easy first stop before dinner. Our date night ideas list more options.

Location and getting there

Qualia Contemporary Art is at 229 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. Our Downtown guide covers what else is around.

The Palo Alto Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• Lee Optometrics, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Osteria, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Joe & The Juice Hamilton Avenue, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Reposado, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Bistro Maxine, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Lytton Plaza, under 0.1 mi
• Pacific Art League, under 0.1 mi
• University Avenue, under 0.1 mi

Other books, gifts, art and specialty shops nearby: Bell's Books (under 0.1 mi); Mac's Smoke Shop (under 0.1 mi); Verizon University Avenue (under 0.1 mi); Bryant Street Gallery (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full books, gifts, art and specialty shops list.

Before you go

• Hours for small shops can change with the seasons and holidays. Check before making a special trip.
• Many independent shops will order items they do not have in stock. Just ask at the counter.
• Gift wrapping is often available, especially around the holidays.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Qualia Contemporary Art website; About and contact; Artists; Exhibitions. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions