India Art Fair

The India Art Fair, established in 2008, is a significant annual event held in New Delhi, India, serving as a prominent platform for discovering modern and contemporary art from South Asia. This fair is recognized as a cultural gateway to the region, offering insights into the artistic landscapes of neighboring countries. The fair's programming encompasses galleries, artists, private foundations, arts charities, artists' collectives, national institutions, cultural events, and festivals, fostering engagement between local and international audiences with the cultural history and development of South Asia.

The India Art Fair is known for its diverse offerings, including contemporary and vernacular practices with a South Asia-first approach. In 2024, the fair introduced a design section for the first time, showcasing modern interventions in India's prolific craft traditions. This addition featured designers and labels working with objects ranging from luxury furniture to unique jewellery and textiles, highlighting the timeless relationship between humans and nature.

Among the participating designers were Atelier Ashiesh Shah, who assembled skills and stories of artisans from various corners of India, creating collectibles through collaborations with local craftsmen. De Gournay, a UK-based maker of premium quality hand-painted wallpaper, textiles, and decor, presented a select range of their hand-painted and hand-embroidered designs for wallpapers and wall-upholstery, crafted during special workshops held in Kolkata.

Gunjan Gupta, a New-Delhi based designer, brought a playful approach towards material and form by displaying novel applications of India’s handmade and vernacular crafts, reinterpreting iconic Indian design pieces like the “modha” and the “thaali”. Vikram Goyal, known for working with the repoussé technique of shaping metals, showcased collectible design brass objects that capture the rich legacy and excellence of Indian crafts in contemporary iterations.

Karishma Swali & The Chanakya School of Craft presented large-scale handcrafted and interdisciplinary works that explored the timeless relation between humans and nature, while Rooshad Shroff, in collaboration with an artist, brought to life one of his most well-known range of furniture with marble inlays depicting the sensual and provocative art of a Hyderabad-based artist. Studio Renn showcased collectible jewellery that combined alternative materials like concrete with gold and diamonds, emphasizing self-expression through a unique approach to design and materiality.

The India Art Fair has consistently provided a platform for artistic expression, fostering engagement with South Asia's cultural history and development, and promoting the region's rich artistic heritage.