Art galleries and gallerists are artists’ support systems and fertile grounds for non-institutionalised public education in the arts. Gallerists Abhay Maskara (Gallery Maskara, Mumbai), Richa Agarwal (EMAMI ART, Kolkata), Renu Modi (Gallery Espace, Delhi), and Saskia Fernando (PRSFG, Colombo) speak with independent curator Pujan Gandhi to address how galleries advocate for global and local engagement, ensuring varied collectors and artists enter their ecosystems and continue to grow larger and wider cultural networks.
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.
Abhay Maskara : Abhay Maskara is a curator, writer, and thinker known for his innovative and conceptually challenging curatorial practice. Author of Collecting Art – An Insider’s View of the Indian Art World (2012). He curated at the Agnes B. Foundation in Paris (2011) and was invited to be on the advisory board of the 2014 Kochi Biennale. He is the Curatorial Director of Gallery Maskara, Mumbai.
Richa Agarwal : Richa Agarwal, Chairperson of Kolkata Centre for Creativity and CEO of Emami Art, champions Bengal’s cultural heritage while embracing contemporary art. Awarded for her contributions, she leads inclusive initiatives, festivals, and archives, making KCC a hub for accessible, diverse artistic engagement across disciplines and communities.
Renu Modi : Renu Modi, Founder of Espace has consistently worked with an inter-disciplinary approach over the past thirty years. Spurred by her friendship with Husain, Manjit Bawa and other artists, Mrs Modi found herself drawn into the world of Indian art. And when Husain spoke of the need for professionally run galleries in the then rapidly growing Indian art market, she decided to take the plunge. Espace is a regular at the India Art Fair, and also participates in fairs abroad such as Art Basel Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi Art, Armory Show and Art Dubai.
Saskia Fernando: Saskia Fernando, a gallerist and patron, has significantly shaped Sri Lanka’s art scene by promoting emerging and established artists. As Director of Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery, she supports local arts and crafts. Founder of KALĀ (2024) and the Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation, she fosters South Asian art and cultural appreciation globally.
Pujan Gandhi: Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator, previously serving as Jane Emison Assistant Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. There, he reinstalled its galleries, secured transformative acquisitions—from ancient to contemporary—and published on topics ranging from 19th century Indian Travel Albums, 21st century encyclopedic museum display, and edited a forthcoming monograph, Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture.
