Chen Art Gallery

My friends and I arranged to have a tour of this gallery today at 11 AM and boy were we treated to almost 2 hours of excellent art! The curation of the artifacts contained within this museum is exemplary! Allison, our docent, was supremely knowledgeable in not only the work itself but its acquisition and its meaning to the collector Dr. Chen. Several times she stopped us to let us know which pieces meant a great deal to him. The artifacts owned by the former Chinese emperors were quite intriguing. She let us in on some little known Chinese art history including the use of dragons with five fingers to indicate ownership by an emperor.
I arranged this tour because I understood them to have a collection of Picasso prints; but after her excellent tour of the Chinese art, I looked at the Picassos with a different kind of lens. They were still extraordinary but at the same time the craftsmanship and artistic quality of the artifacts collecting this museum really made a lasting impact on me.
This experience would not have been as informative as it was without this great docent! I am so pleased she was working today and could accommodate our group. She answered every question we had with a high degree of professionalism, courtesy, and intellect. It was a very educational afternoon and we’re so happy we stopped in!

Amazing collection of Chinese art/​antiquities hidden in Torrance, CA. You will be surprised by what you’ll see in this private collection.

A hidden gem in Torrance.
It’s an awesome private collection. Mr. Chen, the owner, has the heart to share it to the public for free which is cool. You just have to set an appointment.

This is one of the best hidden gems that I have come across in Torrance, CA. When you walk into the Sunrider building, you wouldn’t think there is a art gallery inside a corporate office. However, when you make a couple of turns down the hallway of the main floor, you are welcomed by a pair of Chinese lions and a beautiful gate. There were only five of us, so it felt like we had our own private tour. I was thoroughly impressed by Dr. Chen’s collection and appreciate having him share his collection with the public.

This is a lovely, little known gem of a gallery. Entry is by appointment only during a fairly limited time window. The location is accessible and parking free. Guided tours only since it is a private collection and a security guard shadowed us unobtrusively. The collection is impressive and very well displayed. Careful attention has been given to grouping items chronologically and displaying with historical information to make the tour informative and user friendly. There are many items from Imperial collections that express great wealth, the finest craftsmanship, and historical significance. Since Chinese antiquities are zooming up in value and getting out of reach for most private collectors, Dr. Chen is beginning to collect European art like the 100 piece Picasso sketches just added to the gallery in a dedicated room. It takes a little advance planning to reserve a time, but well worth it!

An awesome collection of Asian antiquities — probably the best art museum in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County! You need to make an appointment, as it’s inside Sunrider’s headquarters.

A nice private collection Asian artifacts including furniture, paintings, sculptures, clothes and pottery. The tour last about 90 minutes and was very informative. The tour guide offers a lot of knowledge and was very friendly.
Its only Tuesday — Friday so most people will have to make special arrangements with work to make it. Otherwise, this is a great place to spend a few hours. The best thing, admission is FREE. You must call and arrange an appointment before you come!

Hidden gem! You need to make reservations ahead of time for a tour which lasts about an 90 minutes. The gallery houses the Chinese art collection of Dr. Chen and apparently covers 5000 years of Chinese history. Included are furniture, paintings, sculptures, porcelain, pottery, and much more. I don’t know much about this type of art but I was impressed with what I saw. Our tour guide was great –very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. At the end of the tour we were led to a shop where we were served tea (Dr. Chen’s company makes a variety of herbal products that are available for purchase).
Admission is free! I don’t recommend this tour for kids or people who can’t stand for long periods of time (there is no seating during the tour).

Nestled within the Sunrider corporate building, Chen Art Gallery offers a vast variety of period pieces from the ancient royal Chinese dynasties. Themes are arranged within categories such as furniture of the imperial Ming Dynasty, Xing Dynasty, pottery, jade, paintings, bronze, cloisonné, calligraphy, snuff bottles, royal apparel, and religious (Buddha) artifacts.
Some historical pieces date back as far as 3000 years ago, with various pieces over 500 – 700 BC. Dr. Chen’s collection is elaborate, invaluable, and a museum worthy must see. His collection is a compilation of 40 yrs — in the making. With pieces on rotation for interesting viewing. Our curator was very friendly, educational, and personable. You can tell she truly enjoys her occupation.
Tip: You must arrange for a complimentary, intimate, group tour. Unfortunately, they are only open during the business week during business hours, closed on major holidays. Tour is approximately 90 minutes. Only one negative — no pictures allowed.
Sunrider specializes in health and beauty products, are have a huge market in Asia (Taiwan & China). His wife runs the company, as Mr Chen specializes in the product development and meticulous art purchasing. They are photographed with former presidents R. Reagan & B. Clinton.
Also, there is a cute botanical garden with herbs, gazebo, koi pond at the next building over. Enjoy and plan ahead!

Another of my way overdue reviews.
I just one to say this place is ‘priceless’ and I want to say thank you to the Mr. Chen for sharing his amazing collection. It is truly amazing.
Now for you my Unilocalers, this place is one you can go to and never tire of. The history, the depth of craftmanship, will truly have you wanting more and more and more. What makes this even greater is, coming here will only cost you your time. Admission is FREE… yes you read that right, there is no cost to tour this museum. On the day I toured (not setup by me, but with a ladies traveling group), we were also scheduled for free facials/​mini makeovers, walk/​stroll in the garden and sample product tasting. (I even came home with a goodie bag) My only disappointment for the day was I couldn’t stay longer. I truly enjoyed myself and was pushed for time (being I only allocated a few hours for the event) and had to be clocked in.
So my only suggestion is, if you are going to include or able to include the facials/​makeover and tasting – do it but give it a full day of time.
This is truly a hidden gem in the South Bay.
~~Ms. Shane~~

A Chinese culltural adventure — East meets West…
In January, during Chinese President Hu’s visit to Washington, D.C., our club decided to visit The Chen Art Gallery, a hidden treasure in Torrance.
The Chen Art Gallery was created by Dr. Tei-​Fu Chen. Dr. Chen has collected world-​class artifacts for over 20 years…
The Art Gallery is within The Sunrider Building where a great variety of herbal products may also be purchased. A special blend of tea is served after the tour.
Group Reservations are needed. Individuals may also make reservations.
Admission is free.
Holly was our «expert» tour guide on a walking tour that lasted about an hour.
Many objects from the Qing and Ming dynasties, etc. were viewed, including some 3000 year old bronze vessels.
Some other wonders observed were: a throne room, gilded Buddhist sculptures, wood-​carved statues of Buddhist monks, a small terra cotta soldier with chariot-​like cart, dried-​ink containers, small snuff bottles painted from the inside, a Hanging Scroll with Landscape by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty.
We enjoyed viewing different-​colored jade objects, and pottery horses…
We especially enjoyed the artistry of the imperial porcelain.
Many believe that the «blue» may have been imported from Thailand… And It took much patience before «rose» and other colors could be added to Chinese ceramics…
You really need to be there to enjoy this cultural experience.
Our large group certainly did.
Many felt we should visit again with other friends so together we may more– fully take in all of its wonders An A+ experience !!!