Its only after the opening day brouhaha at an Indian Art Fair, be it Delhi or Mumbai, that as a collector, you return to actually see the artworks, in their depth and entirety. Many of the artworks at the India Art Fair, Delhi, 2025, reflected a growing global phenomenon and interest for hybrid works; merging traditional art forms with contemporary visual imagery. This timely surge for a revival has injected artisans with a renewed means for survival. But on the flip-side the localised flavour is sometimes strong in historical iconography, which in itself may have its merits, but demarcates the collective in many ways as compared to other global narratives. Merging the old with path-breaking new methods is key.

Biswajit Dasgupta |

Priscilla Quek of Whitestone Gallery, Singapore, having just returned from the Bangkok Biennale, observed, “The use of textiles and embroidery is culturally different from the plethora of Pop Art one sees in other parts of Asia”. How does this address local vs global sensibilities? And how has this impacted the ‘Indian exhibitor’ on a global platform or the ‘International exhibitor’ in India? After viewing the SG Art Fair, Singapore in January, I came back with the observation, that there could be more representation from India. Meher Kalra, Gallery Nyvya, states “ART SG is able to play a vital role in developing audience for contemporary art in the region whilst deepening connections to the international art world”.

The lay international audience has hitherto typified art from India to be what they see at these fairs. The ups and downs in market dynamics makes economic viability for Indian galleries to showcase the Progressives or highly established artists, while targeting mainly at the Global NRI population. The Biennales in comparison, showcase experimental, innovative works on the global stage. Having said that, there is a huge body of works of Indian artists that defy convention as they break boundaries, dissolve borders, and would be of huge interest internationally. We are on the curve or cusp of a huge tide of change.

Suresh Kumar Apparao Galleries Chennai |

There is movement and immense energy. The Indian art market, continues to thrive. The rise in disposable incomes of India’s upper-middle class and wealthy individuals has contributed significantly to the growth of India’s art market. In 2019, the Indian Art market was valued at around $120 million.

By 2025 it is expected to reach $250 million. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 14.9%. ArtTactics art market confidence indicator signals a potential market rebound in 2025 though it remains to be seen if it would be a short spurt or a new growth cycle.

Marina Abramović Lisson Gallery. London |

The big question is, is it worth their while for international galleries to set up shop with an eye to wooing the Indian audience. Lisson Gallery was marking its return to India in over a decade, having last participated in 2012. The Gallery Director Ellie Harrison says, “This time we return to the fair with works by an international roster of artists, to renew conversations and build new connections.”

The booth showcased a compelling selection of works by Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Christopher Le Brun and Laure Prouvost. Elsewhere on the booth was a darkened room dedicated to an illuminated alabaster sculpture by Marina Abramović. The work represents one of Abramović’s Seven Deaths. Cleave (2022), composed of Murano glass bricks in a palette evoking smoke and water. Houshiary’s paintings combine rigorous inscriptions with layers of sediment formed by pouring water mixed with pure pigment, exploring modes of perception that bridge the scientific and cosmic human, avian, and aquaticforms seamlessly intertwine.

Biswajit Dasgupta Gallery Art Exposure. Kolkatta |

The David Zwirner Gallery, soon to participate in Art Basel Hong Kong, has participated for the fourth time in India, with a focus on new and recent work by Huma Bhabha and Oscar Murillo, alongside historic works on paper by Paul Klee. Gallery Kó’s, has participated for the first time, showcasing five Nigerian artists. “As we are one of the few non-Indian galleries participating in the fair, we are excited to showcase the diverse work of artists in Nigeria,” says Kavita Chellaram who founded the auction house ‘Art House Contemporary’ in Lagos.

Closer home, Shivani Aggarwal’s thread work stands out, in its simplicity, with deftly sewn waves creating a strong visual impact. Rekha Rodwittya’s sheer genius is unstoppable. Her embroidered paintings on poplin titled ‘Home is Where You Are’, straddles surrealism and metaphorical narratives of ecological fragility, cultural interconnectedness, and the intricate interdependencies of nature. Anindita Bhattacharya’s ‘Echoes of a lingering loss’ uses an intricate geometry of jaali, evoking layered histories of inclusion, exclusion and resistance.

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran |

The global art market expansion has brought Indian art into the spotlight. If the Modernists paved the way to a global stage, the time is now to stage a showcase of dynamic emerging art on the international map.

(Nandita Chaudhuri is a practising visual artist, poet, and author.)