India Art Fair 2026: A Textile-Led View

As February approaches, India comes sharply into focus. From 5–8 February 2026, India Art Fair returns to New Delhi for its 17th edition, transforming the NSIC Exhibition Grounds into a dense, multi-layered landscape of modern and contemporary art from across South Asia. For Selvedge readers, the fair offers not only a sweeping view of the region’s artistic currents, but a particularly rich encounter with textiles — both explicitly foregrounded and subtly threaded throughout.

Established in 2008, India Art Fair has grown into the leading platform for discovering South Asian art, convening galleries, artists, foundations, institutions and designers from across the region and beyond. This year’s edition is the largest to date, with a record 133 exhibitors, including 94 galleries, alongside an expanded design section, outdoor commissions and a city-wide parallel programme that activates Delhi’s wider cultural landscape.

From 'Towards Light' by Karishma Swali and the Chanakya School of Craft at India Art Fair. Photo: Chanakya School of Craft

Textiles appear in concentrated form within several key presentations. The Chanakya School of Craft, under the direction of Karishma Swali, continues its long-standing commitment to reimagining textile knowledge through contemporary practice. With over four decades rooted in embroidery and women-led education, Chanakya’s work occupies a vital space where craft becomes a form of cultural inquiry rather than heritage display. Delhi Crafts Council similarly foregrounds collaboration, presenting projects that sustain artisan livelihoods while adapting material vocabularies for present-day contexts...

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Image Credits:

Lead: Monika Correa, Original Sin (detail), Warp: dyed cotton yarn; weft: dyed handspun wool. Photo: Jhaveri Contemporary

All further images as credited in photo captions.