With February, the heart lingers even more for a thing of beauty for many reasons. From the usher of the spring, the desire for stepping out, to a cultural calendar filled with art and culture events, life feels like starting afresh with zest!
If you plan to dive into art and creativity, IAF returns for its 17th edition at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Delhi, from 5–8 February 2026. In its biggest edition yet, it brings over 133 exhibitors, including art galleries, institutions, and design players for a contemporary art showcase, promising four days of encounters with art, talks, presentations, outdoor projects and spaces.
Just as art knows no bounds, this year’s edition is as expansive with artworks in varied media ranging from mixed media, oil on canvas, metalwork, textile, acrylic on canvas, print-making, ceramics, embroidery craft and more, with each shaping today’s storytelling practice. The artworks don’t merely hang on booths — they tell stories that the viewer didn’t know ever existed. From shedding a spotlight onto India’s sacred groves in a display of ecological art pavilion, to probing female empowerment through the lens of Kenyan artist, Muriu, exploring migration and memory through the world of a multi-disciplinary artist Sidhant Kumar from Bihar, to a peek inside broader histories of post-war modernism, migration, and institutional critique in The Other Story (Revisited) and showcasing material-agnostic brand Studio Renn’s unique jewellery crafted from concrete, stone, wood, precious metals, and gemstones, there is something for every art lover to stop by.
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“This year’s lineup brings together bold and boundary-pushing installations that respond to urgent questions around ecology, gender, technology, and material experimentation, inviting visitors to move through the fair differently, and allow opportunities for moments of wonder, play, and deep reflection,” says the IAF official handle on Instagram about its outdoor art projects.
We give you a preview of some unmissable displays at the India Art Fair that got us talking.
Amit Aggarwal unveils AM: IT
Designer Amit Aggarwal introduces AM: IT, a prêt label to be unveiled at India Art Fair. The display standing at the intersection of fashion, art, and material innovation shows textile as a vessel of memory, shaped by technique, knowledge, and history. Exhibited at the BMW Lounge, the installation uses preloved Banarasi textiles to create a sculptural installation that takes form through intricate draping, corded structures, and pleated surfaces.
Sonal Ambani’s The Last Stamp
Contemporary sculptor Sonal Ambani debuts her latest work, The Last Stamp, at IAF. See it as a visual commentary on the global shift from physical to digital communication. Inspired by Denmark’s decision to remove all public postboxes, her work reflects an inevitable future where tactile systems of exchange gradually disappear. Built from stainless steel timepieces, the work uses instruments of measured time to portray this cultural transition. It further invites visitors to participate by writing postcards that will be mailed out, while also receiving a digital record of their contribution in an act of preserving the fading practice of writing.
India Past and Present by DAG
India’s artistic journey has been shaped by centuries of exchange between tradition and transformation, myth and modernity. DAG’s India Past and Present exhibit traces this layered evolution through works of Western and Indian artists. On view will be works of Arthur William Devis and Sewak Ram, whose works reflect colonial and courtly perspectives, followed by academically trained Indian painters like M V Dhurandhar and Radha Charan Bagchi, and notable modernists including S H Raza, Nirode Mazumdar, Kanwal Krishna, P T Reddy, and Devayani Krishna, whose practices moved beyond realism towards abstraction and experimentation.
Vikram Goyal Studio
Designer Vikram Goyal, known for presenting objects of everyday use into tastefully done sculptural pieces with repoussé technique, brings an immersive installation at India Art Fair 2026. It melds science and belief, cosmos and nature. Viewers can find a striking display of sculptural objects, furniture, and lighting, with each throwing light on ancient knowledge systems rooted in observation, mythology, and reverence.
Khadim Ali presented by Latitude 28
At IAF, art also goes beyond mere pleasure and puts a spotlight on critical themes. At the Afghan-Australian artist Khadim Ali’s solo booth, whose Hazara (ethnic minority group) background informs his exploration of exile, memory, and cultural survival, Ali draws from demons and ancient tales to transform stories of suffering into symbols of resilience, born out of his family’s lived experiences of displacement. Featuring previously unseen works and paintings, Ali’s works reveal his ability to blend folklore with contemporary critique.
Recycle of Life by Paresh Maity
Presented by Art Alive Gallery, prominent painter Paresh Maity’s monumental installation Recycle of Life extends to nearly 200 feet, making it an eye catcher at the fair! Comprising 27 sculptural forms made from burnt wood and recycled metal pipes, the work examines the process of continuity, regeneration, and ecological responsibility. It depicts recycling as both a material practice and a philosophical inquiry into what can lead to a sustainable future.
Voyage Through the Diamond Realm by De Beers Group
For those who have an eye for exquisite creations, De Beers Group’s Voyage Through the Diamond Realm installation could be a stopover. Created in collaboration with textile artist Lakshmi Madhavan, the artwork celebrates natural diamonds as nature’s original masterpieces while also bridging geology with living craft traditions. Madhavan extends the narrative through Kasavu, Kerala’s traditional gold-border handwoven textile. By pairing diamonds with textile heritage, the installation positions Kasavu as the human, wearable counterpart to the natural diamond—both shaped by time, transformation, and touch.
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