Over the past two decades, Roshini Vadehra has quietly redefined the role of the gallerist in South Asia. As Director of Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi—founded by her father, Arun Vadehra, in 1987—she has balanced legacy with innovation, curating a platform where India’s modern masters and emerging visionaries stand in dialogue. Under her stewardship, the gallery has expanded its global footprint, mounted landmark exhibitions, and helped foster a more sustainable ecosystem for contemporary art in the region.
But Vadehra is more than a gallerist. She is a collector, patron, and advocate whose vision extends beyond market mechanics. Through initiatives like the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), which she co-founded in 2007, she has worked to build enduring support structures for artists, curators, and critical discourse. Whether helping orchestrate the historic Arpita Singh retrospective at the Serpentine or cultivating a generation of thoughtful Indian collectors, her work speaks to a deeper cultural mission: to ensure that South Asia is not just represented—but understood, engaged, and celebrated—on the world stage. In this conversation with Whitewall, Vadehra reflects on the nuances of intergenerational legacy, the evolution of her personal collecting philosophy, and the exhilarating transformations shaping the global reception of South Asian art.
Shaping a Multi-Generational Artistic Narrative
Gulammohammed Sheikh’s exhibition. Courtesy of Vadehra Art Gallery.
WHITEWALL: Since its founding in 1987 by your father Arun Vadehra, Vadehra Art Gallery has played a foundational role in shaping the trajectory of modern and contemporary art in India. Having led the gallery for over two decades, how do you reflect on the responsibility—and creative freedom—that come with carrying forward such a legacy while defining it in your own voice?
ROSHINI VADEHRA: When I joined the gallery in 2004, the market was still in its early stages. What was remarkable, though, was that my father was already working with some of the finest artists in India—modern masters like Tyeb Mehta and M.F. Husain, and senior artists like Gulammohammed Sheikh and Arpita Singh, who have a retrospective ongoing at the Serpentine in London.
However, I knew that I needed to carve out my own space and work on expanding the gallery’s contemporary program. My father was incredibly supportive, giving me the freedom to explore that direction independently. He encouraged me to open a second space almost right away—which I did, about two years later.
I began by visiting numerous artist studios all over the country, immersing myself in the emerging and contemporary art scene in India. Within a year of joining the gallery, I helped to organise a major exhibition called Are We Like This Only?, a survey of contemporary art in India. That experience really threw me into the deep end and allowed me to engage closely with contemporary artists. Soon after, I began working with several of those artists who participated in the exhibition.
“With younger or emerging artists, it’s more about creating space for experimentation and exploration,”
—Roshini Vadehra
WW: The gallery’s program spans four generations of artists—from modern masters to some of the most compelling emerging voices. What guides your curatorial and strategic decisions when representing artists at such different stages in their practice?
RV: That’s such a great question. The way we work with artists really depends on where they are in their careers—it’s a completely different approach at each stage.
With senior artists and the masters, the focus is largely on growing their institutional presence. With South Asia receiving so much attention worldwide, it’s about participating in biennales, museum exhibitions, and institutional acquisitions. It’s exciting as we work closely with leading curators and institutions around the world to make important projects come to life.
With younger or emerging artists, it’s more about creating space for experimentation and exploration. Many of them are still developing their visual language or working across different mediums, and our role is to support that journey. That often involves offering opportunities like residencies or exhibitions in places they might not otherwise have access to.
That’s part of what we’re doing at Cork Street in London, where we’ve already presented six exhibitions. Some have featured established artists like Arpita Singh and Rameshwar Broota. More recently, we’ve been introducing younger artists to curators and audiences in the UK, and that has led to several interesting discussions both for the gallery and the artists.
Art fairs are, of course, great for exposure—they allow us to present our artists to collectors and curators globally. But exhibitions, like the ones we have done at Cork Street, offer a more focused opportunity to share entire bodies of work by an artist for deeper collector and institutional engagement.
Roshini Vadehra Bridges the Role of Collector and Gallerist
Arpita Singh, “Remembering,” Serpentine North © Photo: Jo Underhill. Courtesy Arpita Singh and Serpentine.
WW: How has your perspective as a collector informed your approach as a gallerist? Do these roles often intersect for you, or do they remain distinct ways of engaging with art?
RV: As a collector, I allow myself to approach things more emotionally and intuitively. It’s usually a more instinctive decision—an artwork I feel drawn to, sometimes without knowing much about the artist or their trajectory. It tends to be a more spontaneous process.
But as a gallerist—especially after more than 20 years in this space—I’m definitely more structured and deliberate in my decisions. That said, collecting has really shaped the way I work with collectors. I understand their mindset—whether they’re just starting out or looking to grow an existing collection.
When I advise collectors, I tend to be more cautious on their behalf than I might be for myself. I know how easy it is to make a decision that might not age well—or to acquire something that doesn’t continue to resonate over time. My goal is to help them build a genuine relationship with the work and the artist, and make thoughtful, lasting choices.
“I’ve come to really value having a personal connection with the artists,”
—Roshini Vadehra
WW: What compels you personally toward a work of art? Are there particular acquisitions that have shaped your sensibility—whether emotionally, intellectually, or historically?
RV: As a collector, I’ve gone through different phases. There was a brief period when I was focusing on international art from all over, and I acquired a few pieces that felt exciting in the moment, especially from galleries that I have strong relationships with. I’d seen some of those artists featured in major museum shows and retrospectives, and it felt thrilling to bring a piece of that home.
But more recently, I’ve realized that I want my collection to have a clearer focus on South Asia— because that’s the space I understand most deeply as someone from the art community here. I’ve come to really value having a personal connection with the artists—growing alongside them, sharing that journey together. That emotional connection has become very important to me.
One moment that really crystallized this for me was during Arpita Singh’s exhibition at Cork Street. I ended up acquiring one of her works for my personal collection. It was one of those rare moments where I felt such a deep connection to the piece—not just because of the work itself, but also because I’ve known Arpita for most of my life, not just as a gallerist, but also as a close friend of the family. That relationship made the journey of working with her so much more meaningful, and to be able to take a piece of that home made it all the more special.
Since then, I’ve been much more mindful about my personal collection – thoughtfully collecting works by artists from the region, artists whose work I understand and have a meaningful connection with, even if they aren’t represented by the gallery.
Arpita Singh’s exhibition at No. 9 Cork Street. Frieze exhibition space. Courtesy of Vadehra Art Gallery.
WW: With the rise of younger collectors and increasing global visibility for South Asian art, what kinds of conversations are shaping your current engagements—with collectors, artists, or institutions?
RV: It’s a very exciting time for Indian and South Asian art. There’s such strong global attention on the region—from institutions, patrons, and curators alike. In the UK alone, we have been involved in facilitating key conversations for Arpita Singh’s Serpentine exhibition as well as the upcoming group exhibition at the Royal Academy.
Back home at events such as the India Art Fair or the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, we’re seeing groups from MoMA, the Dia Art Foundation, Tate and other major institutions coming from around the world. It feels extremely rewarding to be able to introduce artists from our region to that kind of audience—especially artists we’ve worked closely with over the years.
In terms of younger collectors in India, there’s been a real shift. Today’s collectors are far more educated and evolved than they were a decade ago. They’re thinking carefully about what their collection represents. They want it to have critical and cultural value—not just decorative appeal.
Artists, too, are becoming much more thoughtful about where their work is shown and who collects it. They are particular about placements and about reaching wider audiences globally. It’s a much more interconnected and forward-looking ecosystem.
The Future of South Asian Art and Vadehra Gallery
Courtesy of Roshini Vadehra.
WW: That’s so encouraging to hear. On that note, I also wanted to ask about your work with the Serpentine—specifically Arpita Singh’s landmark show. What was it like collaborating with an institution of that stature to bring such a powerful retrospective to life?
RV: Hans Ulrich Obrist met Arpita Singh maybe 15 or even 20 years ago. He came to India as part of one of his marathon interview projects, and had met her in that regard. In recent years, he started encountering her works at various art fairs where we were exhibiting her work. We hosted her solo exhibition at Cork Street, which he attended—and I think that’s when everything clicked.
The Serpentine has recently been focusing on underrepresented women artists who are important in their own regions but haven’t yet had major institutional exhibitions in U.K. or Europe. When I told Hans that Arpita hadn’t had a full retrospective outside of India, he immediately said, “We have to do it—and we’ll do it next year.”
Arpita doesn’t use email and prefers to communicate through us. So we were closely involved in coordinating and facilitating studio visits with Tamsin Hong and Hans Ulrich, as well as arranging loans from more than 28 collections, totalling 165 works for the exhibition. That scale of loan coordination is virtually unheard of for the museum, but the Serpentine team was incredible, and we were just glad to help bring together the right works for the show.
“That kind of sustained patronage for the arts simply didn’t exist before,”
—Roshini Vadehra
WW: You co-founded the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) in 2007, which continues to support public art, residencies, and critical writing. What role do you believe such initiatives play in nurturing a more sustainable and thoughtful art ecosystem in India today?
RV: We founded FICA in 2007 because we recognized a significant gap in the non-profit arts sector in India. There was very little public infrastructure—minimal state support and few institutions working in this space. While my father had always supported the arts, it wasn’t in a formal, structured way.
Radhika Chopra, who continues to be on our advisory board, and I wanted to change that. So we created the foundation to provide consistent support for emerging artists, curators, and public projects. We partnered with the Swiss Arts Council to establish a three-month residency program in Switzerland. We also collaborated with Goldsmiths in London to support curators through a one-year program on critical writing and curatorial practice. And we launched public art projects and art education programs across India.
Today, we have over 50 patrons supporting the foundation, and it’s become fully self-sustaining. That kind of sustained patronage for the arts simply didn’t exist before. It was challenging—especially in a country where urgent issues like education and healthcare often take precedence—but we believed that philanthropy in the cultural space is equally essential. Fortunately, more people are recognizing that now.
AgriForum workshop at Gram Art Project, Paradsinga, MP (2024). FICA. Courtesy of Roshini Vadehra.
WW: Looking ahead, what most excites you about the future of collecting and curating in South Asia? And how do you envision Vadehra Art Gallery’s evolving role—both locally and internationally—in the next chapter?
RV: I think what’s really exciting is that South Asia is becoming an integral part of the global art narrative—not just by exhibiting South Asian artists abroad, but also by bringing the world to India. International galleries like David Zwirner and Continua are now showing genuine interest in Indian art. Collectors and curators are thinking more globally, aiming to build collections that seamlessly blend South Asian art within the worldwide context.
As a gallery, we’re evolving alongside this shift. We want to serve as a bridge—supporting artists from our region while fostering meaningful global dialogue. It’s an incredibly exciting moment, and I believe there’s so much more to come.
