The first Kalfayan Gallery was founded in 1995 in Thessaloniki by Arsen and Roupen Kalfayan. In 2000, the second Gallery opened its doors in Athens. While focused mainly in Greece, Kalfayan Galleries has also been active in the Balkans and the MENASA region, attempting to bridge the Eastern and the Western artistic culture. In this context, collaborations have been established, not only with Greek artists, but also with Lebanese, Iranian, Serbian and Syrian ones, who have presented exhibitions worldwide.
A key aspect of the Galleries' organized events is the presentation of the development of postwar Greek art, through regular exhibitions of significant Greek artists, such as Akrithakis, Caniaris, Gaitis, Kessanlis and Tsarouchis, among others. Shows of younger, emerging artists are also organized.
The Gallery is equally interested in introducing well-known international artists to the Greek public. In 2008, it exhibited for the first time in Greece, the work of the leading representative of Pop Art in the U.S., Sister Corita Kent (1918-1986), while more recently, it presented a solo show of the internationally acclaimed artist, Anna Boghiguian (in collaboration with the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art).
Over the last few years, Kalfayan Galleries has cooperated with international institutions and museums from European countries, and also from Turkey, Japan, Jordan, Hong Kong, U.A.E., while many of the Gallery's artists have been invited to exhibit at international art fairs all over the world.