Ushmita Sahu (Director & Head Curator, EMAMI ART, Kolkata) will be conversing with India Art Fair Artists-in-Residence 2025 — Imon Phukan, liactuallee and Umesh S. about their artistic practices, which touch upon intangible cultural heritage, agrarian complexities of rootedness and how craft can be the language of speaking across generations. They try to understand how and why this sense of belonging is being explored across the registers of grief and memory, land and space, fluid identities & ecology.
Generously supported by JSW, the IAF 2025 Talks Series, Growing Focus, curated by independent researcher and curator Shaleen Wadhwana, examines the increasing prominence of South Asia within contemporary art, design and culture. The series highlights the efforts of People of the Global Majority — comprising more than 80 per cent of the world’s population, with roots in Indigenous, African, Asian and Latin American cultures — who are asserting their presence across arts and cultural ecosystems. Amid the ongoing decentering of dominant ‘Global North’ narratives, it frames this moment not merely as a response to decolonisation but as landmark, historic self-determination. We explore this impact for audiences today and every day.
Ushmita Sahu: Director and Head Curator of Emami Art, Kolkata, is a prominent figure in the art world. With a fine arts background from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, she is known for her distinctive curatorial style that integrates design into her exhibitions. Before joining Emami Art in 2021, she was an independent curator, artist, and mentor. Sahu has curated national and international projects and has spoken at esteemed institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. She is based in Kolkata and Santiniketan, West Bengal.
Imon Phukon: Currently pursuing her Masters in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London, Imon Phukon draws on rich traditions of Indian miniature art, fabrics, and woodblock prints to create layered textile works. Her dynamic compositions reflect a sense of history in motion, while elements like sari scraps, leather, and thread become threads of repetition woven into her work.
liactuallee: Raised across three continents and deeply rooted in their queer identity, liactuallee crafts intricate, optimistic futurist visions that offer a glimpse into collective destinies yet to unfold. Their interdisciplinary practice includes performance, video, animation, fibre art and soft sculpture.
Umesh S.: With roots in Bhojpur, Bihar, Umesh S.’s work draws from agrarian landscapes and the deep connections between people, land, and labor. With a background in printmaking and new media art, Umesh’s work evokes a spatial subjectivity that reflects the complexities of his upbringing in a farming family. His work has earned him accolades including the Kala Sakshi Memorial Trust Award and the Tata Trust International Award.
