ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

10 South Asian Artists Gaining Market Momentum

market-auction · 2026-06-04

South Asian art is experiencing a global surge, marked by record auction prices, major institutional acquisitions, and a diversifying collector base. Auction houses in Mumbai, New York, and London report sustained demand. Institutionally, India returned to the Venice Biennale with a national pavilion after seven years, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is collaborating with Christie's on a non-selling exhibition in London. The article highlights ten artists gaining momentum: Bhupen Khakhar, Amrita Sher-Gil, Tyeb Mehta, Nasreen Mohamedi, Zarina, Anish Kapoor, Rashid Rana, Shilpa Gupta, Nalini Malani, and Raqib Shaw.

Key facts

  • South Asian art is at a global inflection point with record-breaking auction prices.
  • Auction houses in Mumbai, New York, and London report durable, compounding demand.
  • India returned to the Venice Biennale with a national pavilion for the first time in seven years.
  • Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and Christie's will collaborate on 'The Meeting Ground' exhibition in London.
  • The exhibition is non-selling and drawn entirely from the KNMA collection.
  • The momentum includes recognition of overlooked figures from across the subcontinent.
  • Collector base is more geographically dispersed and generationally diverse.
  • Ten artists are highlighted: Bhupen Khakhar, Amrita Sher-Gil, Tyeb Mehta, Nasreen Mohamedi, Zarina, Anish Kapoor, Rashid Rana, Shilpa Gupta, Nalini Malani, Raqib Shaw.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • Mumbai
  • India
  • New York
  • United States
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Venice
  • Italy

Sources