Ian Rayer-Smith: The Whole Is a Fragment
Gefen Gallery is pleased to present a new body of work by Ian Rayer-Smith at its 315 Grant Avenue location in San Francisco. On view from September 18 through October 31, 2025, this solo exhibition, The Whole Is a Fragment, marks the artist’s return to Gefen Gallery this fall with a sweeping takeover of the entire exhibition space - a crescendo of color, mark-making, and scale.
Join us for an opening reception on September 18th, 6 - 8pm to celebrate the artist over music and wine.
San Francisco — Gefen Gallery is pleased to present a new body of work by Ian Rayer-Smith at its 315 Grant Avenue location in San Francisco.
On view from September 18 through October 31, 2025, this solo exhibition, The Whole Is a Fragment, marks the artist’s return to Gefen Gallery this fall with a sweeping takeover of the entire exhibition space - a crescendo of color, mark-making, and scale.
Featuring monumental works from several of his acclaimed series, including Misdemeanour and Trampling Over the Classics, the exhibition reads as a visual autobiography through abstraction. Known for his dynamic brushwork and classically infused chaos, Rayer-Smith’s paintings inhabit a space between control and surrender. Each canvas pulses with urgency yet carries the resonance of ancient echoes - modern-day cave paintings charged with emotion, sensuality, and freedom.
The Whole Is a Fragment is not merely a survey - it is a declaration. A rare opportunity to experience the full physicality of his practice, where instinct meets intellect on a grand scale. As Rayer-Smith himself explains: “I’m not painting what exists. I’m painting the act of being alive."
