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Who sold what at the India Art Fair?

From seasoned patrons to a new generation of buyers, the fair reflected a widening collector base.

3 min readFeb 10, 2026 01:02 PM IST

Viewers looking at works at India Art Fair. (Credit: India Art Fair)

With a record 135 exhibitors presenting works by leading names in art and design over its four-day duration, the India Art Fair (IAF) reaffirmed its scale and ambition. A testament to its success, apart from the increasing footfall, were also the several red dots that appeared across booths.

Jaya Asokan, Director, IAF, noted, “With this edition, India Art Fair has entered a decisive new chapter. The eyes of the global art world are on South Asia, and India Art Fair 2026 met that moment; record exhibitor numbers, ambitious programming, and four days of palpable energy… Over the years, we’ve been proud to build the essential gateway between South Asia and the international art world; our 2026 edition shows that that exchange now flows powerfully in both directions.”

Robust sales were seen across gallery booths for all segments — from the modernists to contemporaries and emerging talent. On the very first day, Vadehra Art Gallery sold 80 per cent of its booth, including works by Atul Dodiya, NS Harsha, Manjit Bawa, Anju Dodiya, and Sudhir Patwardhan, with prices spanning from $6000 to $600,000.

While David Zwirner sold two sculptures by Huma Bhabha, a painting by Suzan Frecon and a photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, Rajiv Menon Contemporary sold all but one work at its booth, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $35,000.

Viewers looking at works at India Art Fair. (Credit: India Art Fair)

Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director at Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) noted, “The strong opening-day response to our booth at IAF reflects the accelerating global recognition of South Asian modernism. Ranging between 50 lakh to 12 crore, the successful placement of works by Radha Charan Bagchi, Sewak Ram, SK Bakre, Jamini Roy, Shanti Dave, Sohan Qadri, SG Thakar Singh, Meera Mukherjee, Krishen Khanna, Nandalal Bose, Madhvi Parekh and Sakti Burman points to a sophisticated collector base that is increasingly focused on historically significant practices.”

Director of Art Alive Gallery, Sunaina Anand, also saw several inquiries and sales at her booth, as did Bhavna Kakar of Latitude 28 and Ushmita Sahu, director of Emami Art.

At the Experimenter booth, several sales were also made to new collectors. Prateek Raja, co-founder of Experimenter, said: “We were very happy to return to IAF with a presentation of works by 18 artists from the programme. Included in our booth were several new commissions by artists Kaveri Raina, Biraaj Dodiya, Sohrab Hura and Vikrant Bhise. We placed several works with new collectors. Over 90 per cent of the presentation was sold. We placed significant works by several artists, such as Aziz Hazara and Christopher Kulendran Thomas in museum collections in India and abroad.”

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The experience was equally rewarding for international galleries as well. Sophie Murphy, associate director at Saatchi Yates, which had, among its highlights, Marina Abramovic works, said, “The fair has exceeded our already high expectations. By the third day, we had almost entirely sold out our booth. The sales have been outstanding and we are delighted with the turnout. We have placed our work with a major institution in India and it’s been great to meet so many new collectors at the fair.”

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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