▁London ' s ▁art ▁world ▁and ▁New ▁wave ▁music ▁scene ▁in ▁the ▁' 8 0 s , ▁K ish ▁was ▁friends ▁with ▁Christian ▁Lou b out in , ▁Norman ▁Ros ent hal , ▁D erek ▁Jar man , ▁F . P . ▁Bou e , ▁and ▁Robert ▁Be a vers . ▁ ▁K ish ▁de alt ▁priv ately ▁in ▁contemporary ▁art ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁London ▁for ▁two ▁dec ades , ▁before ▁design ing ▁and ▁opening ▁his ▁e pon ym ous ▁gallery ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁in ▁So H o , ▁New ▁York ▁foc using ▁on ▁post - war ▁Italian ▁Design . ▁ ▁Italian ▁R ational ist ▁Design ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁he ▁cur ated ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁exhibition ▁on ▁Gi ò ▁Pont i ▁titled ▁" G io ▁Pont i : ▁A ▁Met aph ys ical ▁World " ▁at ▁the ▁Queens ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 1 6 ▁years , ▁K ish ▁worked ▁on ▁s our cing , ▁importing ▁and ▁popular izing ▁Italian ▁R ational ist ▁design ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁a ▁market place ▁domin ated ▁by ▁mid century ▁Sc and in av ian , ▁French ▁and ▁American ▁furn iture ▁with ▁much ▁greater ▁distribution . ▁Many ▁limits ▁to ▁the ▁supply ▁of ▁Italian ▁R ational ist ▁pieces ▁drove ▁the ▁prices ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁' 9 0 s ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s . ▁K ish ▁stated ▁in ▁an