Zane Bennett Contemporary Art

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art Zane Bennett Contemporary Art exhibits modern & contemporary masterworks on paper. We are located in the Santa Fe Railyard Arts District.

Founded in 2005, Zane Bennett Contemporary Art exhibits editioned artworks by modern and contemporary artists. In our curatorial program, we explore the collaborative, craft-based and egalitarian qualities of printmaking, showcasing artists who use this remarkably accessible medium to tell groundbreaking stories. Our sister collection, form & concept, shows contemporary craft, design and art.

CHINA MARKS | “Scenes From Childhood,” 2018. Fabric, thread, screen-printing ink, buttons, fusible adhesive on a contemp...
06/19/2026

CHINA MARKS | “Scenes From Childhood,” 2018. Fabric, thread, screen-printing ink, buttons, fusible adhesive on a contemporary tapestry copy of John William Waterhouse’s "Jason and Medea," 33 x 27 7/8 in (83.8 x 70.7 cm). Photo by Jeffrey Scott French, courtesy the artist

See this work and many more in "Lucid Perturbations," on view through 11 July 2026.

06/18/2026

During the recent curator talk for "Lucid Perturbations," Pamela Matsuda-Dunn reflected on first meeting China Marks through an artists’ critique group. Introducing herself to the room, Marks stood and said: “My name is China Marks, and I draw with an industrial sewing machine.”

That unforgettable introduction captured the singularity of Marks’s practice, using thread and fabric not as craft, but as a powerful and wholly original drawing medium. More than two decades later, her sewn tableaux and books continue to mesmerize viewers with their imagination, precision, and emotional depth.

"Lucid Perturbations," on view through July 11, 2026.

Viewers wandered slowly through "Lucid Perturbations," drawn from one sewn tableau to the next by China Marks’s uncanny ...
06/16/2026

Viewers wandered slowly through "Lucid Perturbations," drawn from one sewn tableau to the next by China Marks’s uncanny imagery and densely layered narratives. Throughout the opening, guests paused in quiet reflection, studying the intricate stitched lines, collaged surfaces, and surreal characters that populate Marks’s extraordinary world.

Spanning more than 200 works, the exhibition reveals the breadth of an artist who, beginning in 2001, transformed sewing into a powerful drawing practice unlike any other. Each work invites close looking, rewarding viewers with moments of humor, tension, tenderness, and revelation.

"Lucid Perturbations,” on view through July 11, 2026.

06/15/2026

At the grand opening of "Lucid Perturbations," Pamela Matsuda-Dunn shared insights into how China Marks transformed the tradition of Western tapestry into something entirely her own—deeply contemporary, political, humorous, and unmistakably personal.

Matsuda-Dunn spoke about Marks’s ability to weave together serious social commentary with moments of dark humor and surreal imagination, creating works populated by recurring characters and strange creatures that seem to inhabit a singular shared world. Through fabric, thread, found materials, and unexpected details, Marks built an extraordinary visual language unlike any other.

"Lucid Perturbations,” on view through July 11, 2026.

06/13/2026

During the recent curator talk for "Lucid Perturbations," Pamela Matsuda-Dunn thanked gallery director Carina Evangelista for her ambitious vision in bringing China Marks’s work to Zane Bennett Contemporary Art. Reflecting on the scale of the exhibition, Matsuda-Dunn shared that Marks “never let anything hold her back” and approached her practice with boundless imagination and determination.

She also expressed gratitude to Sandy Zane for taking “a giant leap of faith” in dedicating the entire gallery to this landmark exhibition, which fills both floors with more than 230 sewn drawings and books by China Marks.

"Lucid Perturbations," on view through July 11, 2026.

CHINA MARKS | “That’s Entertainment,” 2017. Fabric, lace, thread, fake fur, fusible adhesive, 37 3/4 x 30 1/2 in (95.9 x...
06/12/2026

CHINA MARKS | “That’s Entertainment,” 2017. Fabric, lace, thread, fake fur, fusible adhesive, 37 3/4 x 30 1/2 in (95.9 x 77.5 cm). Photo by Jeffrey Scott French, courtesy the artist

See this work and many more in "Lucid Perturbations," on view through 11 July 2026.

06/11/2026

During the curator talk for "Lucid Perturbations," gallery director Carina Evangelista reflected on the remarkable journey behind bringing China Marks’s largest solo exhibition to life. Introduced to Pamela Matsuda-Dunn just last fall, Evangelista described the past several months as a “fevered” collaboration to produce both the exhibition and catalogue featuring more than 230 sewn works by China Marks.

Evangelista also spoke about Matsuda-Dunn’s enduring friendship with Marks and accomplished artistic practice as a sculptor, having exhibited at venues including PS122, ABC No Rio, Center for Book Arts, Governor’s Island, UMass Amherst, and the Bennington Arts Museum.

"Lucid Perturbations,” on view through July 11, 2026.

Guests moved slowly through "Lucid Perturbations," pausing often to absorb the extraordinary detail and emotional intens...
06/09/2026

Guests moved slowly through "Lucid Perturbations," pausing often to absorb the extraordinary detail and emotional intensity of China Marks’s sewn works. Across more than 200 tableaux, books, and textile constructions, visitors found themselves drawn into a world that is by turns humorous, unsettling, theatrical, and deeply human.

Marks’s sewn line transforms fabric into a medium for storytelling—each piece unfolding like a dream, memory, or allegory. During the opening reception, viewers lingered in quiet concentration, discovering new narratives and unexpected details in every corner of the gallery.

"Lucid Perturbations" on view through July 11, 2026.

06/08/2026

During the recent curator talk for "Lucid Perturbations," gallery director Carina Evangelista reflected on China Marks’s extraordinary process-driven practice. Quoting the artist, Evangelista shared: “I am not in charge of subject matter. My process is.”

For Marks, every sewn drawing emerged through an intuitive accumulation of materials, revisions, memories, daily life, and relentless experimentation. The result is an immersive body of work unlike any other—over 230 sewn drawings and books that together form the artist’s largest solo exhibition to date.

"Lucid Perturbations" on view through July 11, 2026.

06/06/2026

Director Carina Evangelista on China Marks’s "The Stolen Child" ✨

This sewn book unfolds as a dark and gripping narrative. On its cover, a towering tree-like figure carries off a young girl—an unsettling prelude to the story within.

It begins: “Who would steal a child to start a war? It seemed like a good idea to us. We are a warlike nation, happiest when fighting.”

Created in 2017, the work feels strikingly resonant today. Through stitched text and imagery, Marks constructs a tale of abduction, power, and moral unraveling, where voices clash, warnings go unheeded, and desires override consequences.

Inside, the story deepens: a stolen child, a grieving queen, tears rendered as pearls, and a chorus of conflicting intentions. Each page is both image and text, drawing the viewer into a world that is at once fantastical and disturbingly familiar.

Stop in to experience "Lucid Perturbations," on view through July 11, 2026.

Address

435 S Guadalupe Street, Floor 2
Santa Fe, NM
87501

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+15059828111

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Zane Bennett Contemporary Art posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Zane Bennett Contemporary Art:

Shortcuts

Share