Inside India Art Fair 2026
It is a truth universally acknowledged—or in Delhi certainly—that anyone heading to India Art Fair (IAF) must reach early. Leisurely plans end in hours spent gazing at “fair traffic” instead of the art, a real disappointment considering the abundance of sights at this year’s edition of IAF which concludes on February 8. In its 17th year, the Fair is bigger than ever with a record 135 exhibitors showcasing the expanding contours of art and contemporary practices across six sections in the sprawling NSIC Exhibition Grounds in the national capital.
As one makes their way from the crowded streets into the relative calm of the fairgrounds, Paresh Maity’s ‘Recycle of Life’ stands out—spanning close to 200ft, a 27-piece installation constructed from burnt wood and recycled metal pipes exploring ecological consciousness, destruction and renewal. Ecology reappears as an anchor as one enters the Fair to see a glass structure housing ‘Extinction Archive’, Kulpreet Singh’s ambitious documentation of over 900 animals, plants and fungi drawn from the Red List of Threatened Species in a large installation. It is at once, an archival project as well as an appeal for attention towards a world vanishing from imagination and existence.
Outdoor art has long been part of IAF, but this year showcases a larger variety of works and projects, many narrating stories of crafts, ecology and community. ‘What If Women Ruled the World’, a participatory quilt conceived by Judy Chicago narrates a story of crafts and collaboration outside the tents, drawing viewers and their smartphones (have you even been to IAF if you haven’t posted about it?). Diagonally facing this work, ‘The Charpai Project’ curated by Ayush Kasliwal and co-curated by Ramayudh Sahu in collaboration with digital artist Goji, turns into a place for rest and respite—an architectural structure incorporating recycled materials and the charpai where people take a break from art-spotting to sit back and relax. Even the façade of the tents is a canvas where Afrah Shafiq creates an installation, named ‘The Giant Sampler’, drawing on embroidery motifs and textile practices, with an Augmented Reality (AR) experience which allows visitors to discover the histories of the motifs. Shafiq is the winner of ‘The Future is Born of Art’ commission by BMW, the presenting partner of IAF.
Inside the tents, galleries vie for attention with a staggering assemblage of artists ranging from the masters to emerging voices in contemporary South Asian art. A small crowd gathers every few minutes in front of Vadehra Art Gallery’s booth thanks to a spectacular work by Atul Dodiya—a mechanical, painted shutter that rolls up to reveal a second painting within. There are also works of textile art by Shilpa Gupta and Anju Dodiya, an oil on canvas featuring NS Harsha’s iterative eating figures, an installation by Ashfika Rahman, works by Sudhir Patwardhan and the very last painting made by the late Gieve Patel to admire. The works of Indian modernists such as SH Raza and MF Husain are sprinkled across booths; works by Ram Kumar and FN Souza appear at Kumar Gallery, and tucked away inside Kolkata-based Gallery Exposure’s booths are works by Rabindranath Tagore and Jogen Chowdhury.
Contemporary artists shine in the spotlight, as galleries curate art that makes an argument in favour of the blurring borders of material and media, themes and intent. With a showcase titled ‘Held by a Web’, Threshold Gallery spotlights five women artists—Shanthi Swaroopini, Anindita Bhattacharya, Michal Glikson, Santana Gohain and Neha Lavingia. The Kolkata-based Emami Art, which focuses on artists from Eastern and North-eastern India, presents the works of artists such as Pradip Das and Anjan Modak as well as Prasanta Sahu whose 2025 solo exhibition is the subject of a new publication The Geometry of Ordinary Lives to be launched at IAF on February 8.
A trio of large works by Vipeksha Gupta invites viewers into Galerie Isa’s booth, while at Rajiv Menon Contemporary, the Los Angeles gallery which spotlights South Asian artists presents Rajni Perera as well as Nibha Akireddy, Shyama Golden, and Sahaha whose works are on view at IAF for the first time. Other first-time artists include Debiprasad Bhunia (Kalakriti Art Gallery), Kaveri Raina (Experimenter), Himali Vadalia (Subcontinent), Raja Boro (Emami Art), Kumari Nahappan (Whitestone Gallery), Shinro Ohtake (GALLERYSKE), Alida Sun (Method), Chudhamani Clowes (Saskia Fernando Gallery), Masanori Handa (Ota Fine Arts) and Bea Bonafini (LAMB) among others. Sabyasachi Art Foundation is another debutant, its striking red booth presenting the works of artist Atish Mukherjee.
Latitude 28’s booth features the works of Hasseena Suresh, Jayati Bose, Juhikadevi Bhanjdeo, Farhat Ali, Ketaki Sarpotdar, Sudipta Das and others; a solo exhibition by Khadim Ali is also part of the focus section. Gallery Espace’s booth showcases an array of contemporary works, from Sheetal Gattani’s evocative abstracts to Ishita Chakraborty’s botanicals; Valay Gada’s sculptures to Soma Surovi Jannat’s exploration of the Sunderbans’ folk narratives. Sumakshi Singh’s intricate, diaphanous textile art stands at the centre of Exhibit320’s booth, flanked by the works of Richa Arya, Yasmin Jahan Nupur, Kaushik Saha and others. Kaimurai’s large indigo-dipped works are but just one of the highlights at Blueprint 2012 along with works by Arshi Irshad Ahmedzai, Chathuri Nissansala and Youdhisthir Mahajan. Art Alive is presenting works by Chandra Bhattacharjee, Maya Burman, Partha Dasgupta, Shibu Natesan, Smriti Dixit, Thota Vaikuntam, and Yashwant Deshmukh. Paresh Maity’s major new work ‘Sangam’, inspired by the Mahakumbh, captures attention in the booth and the gallery is also presenting Jayasri Burman’s solo project titled Impermeable, in the Focus section.
The intersectional, interdisciplinary nature of IAF extends beyond the artistic practice to the very design of the exhibition. The Design section has grown steadily since its inception in 2024, and this edition brings together old and new exhibitors. At Vikram Goyal’s booth, gleaming works of brass repoussé and hollowed joinery celebrate the designer’s signature techniques but what sparks more curiosity is ‘The Soul Garden’, an installation originally presented at the Design Miami/Paris in October 2026, with its Panchatantra-inspired brass animals which double up at seats. Ashiesh Shah presents ‘Taamr’, the designer’s exploration of metals while Gunjan Gupta showcases ‘Continuum’, a series of objects created in collaboration with master artisans around the country. The multidisciplinary studio, SHED, showcases its playful, inventive take on furniture and board games while Studio Renn, a contemporary jewellery label by Rahul and Roshni Jhaveri presents its jewellery, juxtaposing stones with unconventional materials, as works of wearable art.
Chanakya School, helmed by Karishma Swali and her team of artisans, is presenting ‘The Sky Below’ a series of woven textiles and sculptural forms at the booth, with its pièce de résistance unfolding in the Focus section— ‘The Lotus Headed’ by artist Natasha Preenja (formerly famous as the anonymous artist, Princess Pea), winner of the inaugural Swali Craft Prize who has created the piece in collaboration with women artisans from the school.
As IAF opens to the general public over the weekend, a variety of performances and talks will add to the abundance of art. Over the years, IAF has transformed into a cultural magnet drawing the city together. It may draw collectors and celebrities and enable major sales and transactions, but it is also a community event—a space for spectacle and entertainment, joy and contemplation, all discovered through the prism of art. What to do this weekend? Head to IAF.