by invitation only is a series that gives paid readers a rare, behind-the-curtain look into the lives, interests, and perspectives of creative professionals shaping the art world today.
MoMA PS1 has always been one of New York’s most experimental institutions. Thanks to Sonya Yu, it is now also one of its most accessible.
Sonya is an art collector and entrepreneur who understands one simple thing very well: Access changes everything. Her recent donation to MoMA PS1 removed the entry fee, and since January 2026 that decision has been reshaping who gets to walk through the doors and who contemporary art is actually for.
This gesture is entirely consistent with how Sonya operates. Her approach to collecting is thoughtful, values-led, and rooted in long-term impact rather than heat-of-the-moment hype. She gravitates towards artists pushing form, identity, and narrative, and backs them with the kind of support that extends beyond ownership into visibility and infrastructure.
That thinking carries through to her many projects. Four One Nine, her studio and event space in San Francisco is a place where art, ideas, and people collide. She is also building an upcoming brand, by sonya yu. The brand will translate her practice into tangible objects through limited-run pieces that sit between fashion and design, crafted to travel with you.
You can find Sonya in all of the following places:
Follow Sonya on Instagram @sonyayu
Follow Four One Nine @fouroneninesf
Keep posted on her upcoming brand @bysonyayu
Find out more about Sonya via her website
Here we go…
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