5 Indian Artists Who Made Their Debut At Frieze London 2025

Despite concerns over a cooling art market and widespread gallery closures, Frieze London defied expectations—drawing global collectors and spotlighting a rising wave of South Asian art. Held alongside Frieze Masters and following closely on the heels of Art Basel Paris, the fair featured over 280 galleries and a notable uptick in participation from Indian exhibitors, with nine galleries from Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata showcasing work. While market uncertainty lingers, South Asian artists appear insulated, with galleries reporting strong sales—including Nature Morte’s $233,210 (₹2.04 crore) sale of a Subodh Gupta painting and multiple sales by DAG of works by Sultan Ali and Jamini Roy.

In this edition of the Frieze Art Fair report, we spotlight Indian artists making their debut at Frieze London 2025. From new works by contemporary painter Anju Dodiya to T. Venkanna’s nomination for the Artist-to-Artist segment, the selection reflects the growing

presence of South Asian artists moving beyond identity politics and token representation at global art events. Notably, Vadehra Art Gallery sold three of Anju Dodiya’s works for $50,000 (₹43,86 lakh) each.

1. T. Venkanna 

Bharti Kher describes T. Venkanna as “an artist who isn’t afraid. He delves deep into the human psyche, into the body, into sexuality…Amid the swirling change of India, Venkanna lays bare his distinct language of the body; his voice is his own.”Venkanna, who works primarily in printmaking, painting, and drawing, blends ancient Indian symbolism with classical European mythological elements. His striking pieces—marked by soft strokes, muted palettes, and grotesque figures—demand attention. 

Also read: 5 New Galleries Making Their Debut At PAD London 2025

At Frieze, his large-format ink and egg tempera paintings, part of his earlier ‘Black, Blue and Yellow’ show in Mumbai, explore themes of birth, death, sex, and their social and political impacts. His work addresses power dynamics, intimacy, exploitation, and societal tension, resonating both locally and globally in today’s restrictive political climate. Launched in 2023, Frieze London’s Artist-to-Artist section invites six solo presentations, each nominated by a prominent artist. In partnership with Tiffany & Co., the 2025 edition offers participating galleries a bursary to support emerging talent. This year, Bharti Kher nominated T. Venkanna, whose works were presented by Gallery Maskara. Venkanna holds an M.F.A. in Printmaking from the Faculty of Fine Arts (2006), M.S. University of Baroda, and a B.F.A. in Painting from J.N.T.U.(2004), Hyderabad.

Where to see his work: Gallery Maskara, Mumbai

2. Anju Dodiya 

Based in Mumbai, Anju Dodiya works primarily with watercolour and charcoal to create introspective, autobiographical pieces centering women. At Frieze Masters 2025, Dodiya is featured in Studio—a section curated by Sheena Wagstaff that examines the working practices of living artists. One of six artists bridging historical and contemporary art, Dodiya presents ‘Ancestral Log’ with Vadehra Art Gallery, showcasing large-scale paintings, small drawings, and mixed-media works on paper and fabric. Dodiya looks to artists of the past and treats the studio like an ongoing logbook, expressing the stormy and tumultuous inner world of an artist impacted by daily life. 

Also read: Art Confidential: Abhinit Khanna On Playing The Long Game When Collecting

Though her works have been shown in London before, this marks her Frieze debut. Dodiya has previously exhibited at the Sharjah Biennale (twice), the Venice Biennale, and the Beijing Biennale. Featured in both galleries and private collections, she is known for her introspective practice that portrays women’s inner worlds without reducing them to gendered narratives. Drawing from myth, early Renaissance painting, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, medieval tapestries, and contemporary cinema, her work weaves these influences into a meditation on the artist’s inner life. Dodiya is a graduate of the J.J. School of Art, Mumbai (1986).

Where to see her work: Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi 

3. Amitava Das

Based in Delhi, Amitava’s mediums include watercolours, oils and pastels to paint figurative and sometimes abstract observations on how we engage with the world around us. In his works, “man is both creator and the destroyer.” Included in the Spotlight section of Frieze Masters and curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, his exhibition, presented by Shrine Empire and Art Exposure,  is a selection of works from the 1970s, a time when Amitava’s works were responding to the political and social climate of India after independence. These focus on two large themes: ecology and socio-political commentary. Around this period, Das had co-founded the ‘New Group,’ a Delhi-based art collective. 

Also read: The Ultimate Gallery Guide To Kolkata: 5 Must-Visit Art Spaces

Much of Indian art is still interpreted through the lens of Western art movements. However, the inclusion of Das’s work highlights a lesser-known chapter in Indian art history—one that reveals the vibrant sub-groups and artistic exchanges of his time, involving artists such as Mona Rai, Manjit Bawa, and Rajni Mehta. His practice, positioned between modern and contemporary art, underscores this period of transition and dialogue. A recipient of the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award (1969), he has exhibited his works in Europe, India, and the Middle East. A graduate of Delhi College of Art (1972). 

Where to see his work: Art Exposure, Kolkata and Shrine Empire

4. Jai Chuhan 

London-based Indian-born artist Jai Chuhan is known for her expressive figurative paintings and bold use of colour. Part of a group exhibition by Vadehra Art Gallery for Frieze London, her piece ‘Figure in Interior’ (2011) was on view. As a person with dual identities, her work has often been showcased in the context of South Asian artists in Britain. In Chuhan’s work, the body becomes a narrative tool to explore conflict, power, and restraint—both for her often-anonymous protagonists and the viewer through the lens of the female gaze. 

Also read: The Ultimate Gallery Guide To Mumbai (Part 2): 7 Must-Visit Art Spaces 

Her figures, confined within interior spaces yet yearning for escape, subvert traditional portraiture by resisting objectification; instead, they appear in motion, blurred, or in direct dialogue with the viewer, asserting agency and tension. A graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art (1977), Chuhan has exhibited at Art Basel Paris, Art Mumbai, and in galleries across the UK, India, and China. Her works, held in collections including Tate, use vivid colour and soft-focus expressionism to capture the emotional complexity of bodies within intimate, enclosed spaces.

Where to see her work: Hayward Touring Show: Acts of Creation (2024-2025), William Hine in London, ‘Repose’ opens 13 Nov 2025 and Vadehra Art Gallery in 2026 for a solo show. 

5. Aastha Butail 

Based in Gurgaon, Aastha Butail’s work ventures into ceramics, drawings, performance and interactive installations informed by research into ancient methods of archiving and oral traditions. Deeply interested in memory and living traditions, her practice is an ongoing effort to traditional knowledge often passed down in the form of poetry, recitations and/or songs, Butail translates these into experiences for viewers. Part of a group show at Frieze London, presented by Vadehra Art Gallery, her work ‘Self Series – I’(2023) is an installation made using Looking Glass and MDF frames. 

Also read: #DPInsider: An Exclusive Interview With Kelsang Dolma Of Art & Bali, Debuting September 2025

Earlier this year, she also had her first London solo show, ‘A Transcendent Force’ at Cork No.9 Cork Street with Vadehra Art Gallery. Curated by Linsey Young, the show featured 7 installations and sculptures rendered in a monochromatic palette using mixed media. Very much like the works presented at Frieze, her work presents itself through repetition and rhythmic variations. All of her works are often arrived at from a larger narrative and exploration into Indian epistemologies. Butail has exhibited across India, Europe, and the Middle East, with works in collections such as the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the Pizzuti Art Collection, and the PEAC Museum. A graduate of NIFT Delhi, Punjab University, and the Gnostic Centre at Auroville, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to her practice.

Where to see her work: Vadehra Art Gallery