In collaboration with ARTIndia’s ’30 Under 30’
'As ARTIndia approached its 30th year in 2026, our team, together with our founder, Sangita Jindal, found ourselves confronting a fundamental question: how does one meaningfully commemorate a legacy so expansive, layered, and continually shaped by the many voices that have contributed to magazine across three decades? What followed were months of exchanged ideas, conversations held and moments of intense discussions eventually leading us to a period of reflection. It was a deliberate pause to reassess, to look ahead, and to ask ourselves: what remains yet to unfold?
That question became the impetus for this initiative: ‘ARTIndia – Looking Ahead – 30 Under 30’. In September of last year, we issued an open call inviting artists aged 30 and under, at the time of application, to submit proposals and applications. The response surpassed every expectation. We received over 300 submissions, each marked by experimentation, artistic conviction and remarkable courage. Many of the works presented themselves as quiet acts of resistance; others felt restless, urgent, raw and personal. Some reflected on individual trajectories and lived experiences, while others served as memory keepers. Several confronted systemic violence and structures of abuse, while some revelled in beauty.
To guide the selection process, we convened a distinguished jury comprising collector Jaiveer Johal; senior curator at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Himanshu Kadam; educator and curator, Shaleen Wadhwana; artist and art historian, Varunika Saraf; and writer–curator Veerangana Solanki. Together, they brought distinct perspectives and a depth of expertise that helped shape the integrity and vision of the final cohort. Every single application was studied with great thought, care and respect. The intent wasn’t to produce a definitive list of ‘the best’ emerging artists in the country. Instead, the goal was to spotlight a group whose practices, regardless of medium, embodied clarity of thought, earnest commitment to their art and demonstrated a strong promise of future growth.
We are deeply grateful to Vadehra Art Gallery for recognizing this potential and for facilitating and hosting this exhibition in celebration of the country’s future artistic talent.'
Reema Desai Gehi,
Editor, ARTIndia