Karma Gallery

“Slow down, take a deep breath, celebrate the smaller, quieter side of life.” Wise advice we always hear but seldom follow. When we need to give ourselves some emotional space, we come to Karma to ponder the echoes of the small moves we make and the impact these moves might have on the ones we make next.

The approach to art-making here is “let it simmer so the flavors deepen.” The colors? Earthy and natural. The shapes? Organic. The subjects? Artful renderings of close-ups of night skies, leaves under a microscope, the silent corners of a home, and surrealist dreamscapes that transport us to alternate, soothing realities.

The art shown here doesn’t shout. It whispers, and in that silence begs us to come closer, observe the subtle details with care, and examine the often-overlooked edges of our lives.

The mind behind Karma is Brendan Dugan, who began his career as a designer, helping artists produce shows and publish limited-run artist books and ephemera. In 2015, he opened his first gallery in a former beverage distribution center on 2nd Street in Alphabet City. Since then, he has expanded into two more spaces on 2nd Street (one of which is a bookstore), as well as single spaces in Chelsea and Los Angeles, and a converted church in the green, leafy wilds of Thomaston, Maine.