Varun Kaji Brings a Global, Curatorial Approach to Art Collecting

Varun Kaji is a prominent art advisor who builds deeply considered collections for private clients across New York, Mumbai, London, and Hong Kong. Raised between Mumbai and New York and working extensively throughout the Middle East, Kaji moves fluidly through cultural contexts—a cross-regional fluency that forms the foundation of his practice. His work is anchored in creating meaningful exchanges between artists, collectors, and institutions, and in amplifying South Asian voices whose contributions are increasingly central to contemporary discourse.

In conversation with Whitewall, Kaji reflects on the intellectual and cultural frameworks that guide his approach, his relationship-driven method of championing artists, and his forthcoming curatorial project, which proposes that in today’s art world, it is sensibility—not geography—that connects global practices.

Varun Kaji on Cross-Cultural Exchange 

WHITEWALL: You work across India, the Middle East, and the West. How do you approach creating meaningful connections between artists, collectors, and institutions across such diverse cultural contexts?

VARUN KAJI: My practice as a young South Asian global collector, curator and advisor is anchored in the belief that meaningful cultural exchange happens when access, context, and perspective come together. Having been raised between Mumbai and New York, and working extensively across the Middle East, I move fluidly between these regions—culturally, linguistically, and professionally. That positionality informs how I build relationships with collectors, institutions, and artists whose worlds may not naturally intersect.

My role is not simply to introduce artists, collectors, and institutions to one another, but to create encounters that shift perspective and expand what feels possible.

A recent example involves my work around the legacy of Zarina Hashmi. Her spare, meditative language—rooted in ideas of home, exile, and memory—resonates deeply across geographies shaped by migration. Recognizing this, I brought a major family office in the Middle East into conversation with the custodians of her estate. What began as an exploration of her printmaking practice evolved into a deeper engagement with her archive, opening space for acquisitions, scholarship, and a cross-regional dialogue on the poetics of displacement.

These are the kinds of connections I value—where artistic legacies are not merely placed, but thoughtfully contextualized; where collectors are not just acquiring work, but entering an intellectual conversation; where institutions expand their narratives through encounters with voices that recalibrate the global canon.

Moving between these regions allows me to bridge cultural sensibilities with a certain ease, but more importantly, it allows me to shape conversations that feel both timely and enduring. 

WW: Your practice has introduced South Asian artists to international collections. How do you decide which artists to champion, and what role do you see your work playing in shaping their global presence?

VK: For me, championing South Asian artists on the global stage begins with a very simple question: What voice, what vision, and what urgency does the world need to encounter right now? I’m drawn to artists whose practices hold both cultural specificity and universal resonance—artists who complicate dominant narratives, who offer new ways of seeing, and whose work expands the canon rather than merely fitting into it.

Over the years, this approach has guided my support for figures across generations—from modern masters like M.F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, S.H. Raza, to seminal voices such as Zarina Hashmi, Bharti Kher, Harminder Judge, to contemporary practitioners including Mona Rai, Parul Gupta, Rana Begum, Prabhavathi Meppayil to name a few. Each of them brings a distinct visual language, but they share a rigor and conceptual clarity that speaks across borders.

When I advocate for an artist, it’s never about trend or market momentum. It’s about identifying a practice that can stand in dialogue with global histories, and then creating the conditions for that dialogue to take place—whether through institutional relationships, strategic placements, or curated conversations that deepen understanding.

My role is part connector, part translator, part steward. I see my work as shaping not only where these artists are collected, but how they are contextualized—how their stories enter international institutions, how curators encounter them, and ultimately, how audiences experience the complexities of South Asia through their lens.

More than anything, I want the artists I support to have a presence that feels thoughtful, enduring, and culturally consequential. When that happens, it doesn’t just elevate individual careers—it opens space for South Asia to be understood as central, rather than peripheral, to the story of contemporary art.

WW: You’re planning a 2026 curatorial project uniting global and South Asian voices. What is the central idea behind this exhibition, and how do you envision it redefining cultural exchange in the region?

VK: The 2026 project is built around the idea that contemporary culture is no longer defined by geography but by shared sensibilities, cross-border influences, and hybrid identities. The exhibition will bring together South Asian, Middle Eastern, and global artists and designers whose practices speak to this fluidity.

The goal is to create a space where visual languages—across art and collectible design— interact in unexpected and generative ways. By situating South Asian voices within a broader global frame, the project aims to challenge existing hierarchies, reposition regional talent, and encourage collectors to think beyond traditional regional silos.

I see it as a platform that not only celebrates artistic excellence but also actively redefines what cultural exchange can look like in the coming decade.

A Curatorial Approach to Collecting

WW: You describe your approach as deeply considered and curatorial. How does this philosophy influence the way you advise collectors, and how does it differ from traditional art dealing?

VK: My approach is fundamentally curatorial, which means I’m not simply sourcing works for collectors who are some of the worlds most powerful family offices, business leaders and industrialists—I’m shaping the intellectual architecture of their collections. I operate with a long view, thinking about how each work will resonate within a larger narrative. That level of intention naturally sets me apart from traditional art dealing, which is often transactional. Everything I do is relationship-driven, research-led, and deeply selective.

Because of that, I often work with pieces that are exceptionally difficult to access. A recent example is Friedrich Kunath. During his current solo at Pace in New York, there was a monumental institutional work that almost no one could get close to. I recognized its significance immediately and facilitated its placement with a prominent South Asian collection—one that could truly engage with its emotional and conceptual depth. That wasn’t a transaction; it was the result of long-standing trust, curatorial alignment, and access built over years of relationships.

The same is true of Bharti Kher. Her major works are fiercely sought after, but I don’t chase availability—I curate opportunity. I recently placed one of her important pieces with a leading collection in Thailand, not because it was on the market, but because I understood the synergy between her practice and the collector’s vision. That match could only happen through access, timing, and a curatorial eye that sees beyond geography.

For me, advising is not about acquiring what is available. It’s about securing what is meaningful, rare, and culturally consequential—and ensuring that these works enter collections where they can have their fullest life. That is the difference. I’m not moving art; I’m shaping legacies

“I operate with a long view, thinking about how each work will resonate within a larger narrative,”

-Varun Kaji

WW: Your work spans both art and collectible design. How do you see the dialogue between these disciplines evolving, and what excites you most about bridging them?

VK: For me, art and collectible design aren’t separate worlds—they’re parallel languages that, when curated in conversation, expand how we understand space, material, and meaning. What excites me most is how fluid that dialogue has become: collectors are increasingly creating environments where sculpture, conceptual art, and design coexist, interacting in ways that are both intellectual and sensorial.

Because of my deep relationships with leading designers and artists worldwide, I’m able to facilitate these conversations at the highest level. A perfect example is when my dear friend and a leading force in the new generation of collectible designers Hugo Toro invited me into his studio and office for a private tour during Art Basel Paris earlier last month, showing me not only his extraordinary collectible designs but also the way his practice intersects with art. Experiencing his work firsthand allowed me to understand its conceptual nuance and material poetry, and to place his pieces thoughtfully alongside complementary art in global collections.

Similarly, during Art Basel Paris, my friend and one of the most influential voices in contemporary design Charles Zana invited me to an intimate private luncheon for his exhibition In Situ. Experiencing his work within that context, surrounded by his closest community, underscored how collectible design can operate with the same emotional depth and architectural clarity as fine art. These relationships give me a rare vantage point into each designer’s thinking, enabling me to guide collectors toward combinations that feel both sophisticated and unexpected.

It’s this combination of access, insight, and curatorial rigor that allows me to guide collectors in building collections that feel cohesive, dynamic, and forward-thinking. The dialogue between art and design is no longer about aesthetics alone—it’s about creating immersive, meaningful environments where ideas, materials, and forms resonate together. That’s what makes this practice so exciting and transformative

Access, Influence, and the Future of Global Collecting

WW: You mention that access and perspective define your practice. Can you share a moment where this network and insight enabled a particularly unique or transformative connection?

VK: Access and perspective are the pillars of my practice—they allow me to operate in spaces few can enter and to create connections that are truly transformative. A prime example is Rashid Johnson. His works are among the most coveted in the contemporary art world, with limited availability and long waitlists that make them almost impossible to acquire. Through decades of carefully cultivated relationships and trust, I am able to secure his pieces for collectors who might otherwise never have access. Placing his work is not just a transaction—it’s a rare alignment of vision, timing, and opportunity that few in the world could facilitate.

Similarly, with Nengi Omuku during her solo show at Kasmin Gallery last year, I navigated her highly curated gallery representation to place her work with a collection that could fully engage with her practice.

Another example is Izumi Kato. While the work I placed was through a gallery, it had never been offered publicly and was made exclusively available to me because of the trust and relationship I maintain with the gallery and its owner. I was able to secure it for a collector in the Middle East—a placement that would have been impossible without that direct Access.

These examples underscore the essence of my practice: many of the artists I work with are fiercely sought after, with long waitlists or tightly controlled representation. My network, insight, and curatorial vision allow me to create placements that are rare, deliberate, and transformative. I’m not facilitating transactions; I’m shaping legacies and defining how global contemporary art is collected, understood, and experienced.

WW: You identify as part of a new generation of tastemakers from the Global South. How do you see this emerging perspective influencing global collecting trends and the art market overall?

VK: Being part of a new generation of tastemakers from the Global South means speaking with both authority and responsibility on the global stage. I’ve had the privilege of participating on collector panels at Art Dubai, alongside some of the region’s most significant collectors, and at Sotheby’s New York, where I shared the stage with senior leadership. On these panels, I highlighted that ‘collectors today are seeking artists whose work bridges cultural specificity and global relevance—South Asian practices are no longer peripheral, they are shaping contemporary discourse.’

As a young South Asian collector and advisor, I’m in a position to make waves globally— connecting artists directly to some of the world’s most powerful family offices, industrialists and business leaders. This isn’t just about placing art; it’s about shaping legacies, building collections with cultural and intellectual depth, and demonstrating that South Asian voices are central to the future of contemporary art.

The influence of the Global South is no longer aspirational—it’s definitional. By bridging these worlds, I help create an art ecosystem where cultural exchange is multidirectional,  nuanced, and forward-looking, and where South Asian artists are recognized on the global stage.

“Where collections tell stories that transcend borders,”

-Varun Kaji

WW: Looking ahead, how would you like your work to be remembered in terms of its impact on artists, collectors, and the broader cultural landscape?

VK: I would like my work to be remembered as a conduit for meaningful cultural dialogue— connecting South Asian and Middle Eastern artists to my collectors who are some of the worlds most foremost family offices, business leaders, industrialists and institutions, while bringing international voices into regional collections. My approach is deeply curatorial: each placement is intentional, considered not merely for its market value, but for how it shapes an artist’s legacy and fosters a larger narrative of cross-cultural exchange.

Equally, the process itself is central to my practice. Discovering, studying, and experiencing art should be immersive and energizing for both my clients and myself. It’s never about pushing a sale; it’s about the ideas, the conversations, and the shared energy of encountering work that resonates on multiple levels.

Just last week, I was invited to an intimate collector lunch hosted by Guggenheim Abu  Dhabi, in Abu Dhabi ahead of the museum’s opening. I shared with the curator of the Abu Dhabi instituition that ‘the real power lies in creating intersections—placing artists where they are not expected and giving collectors experiences that expand their perspective. This is how collections become living dialogues across borders.’ Moments like these reflect the essence of my practice: shaping global conversations, inspiring collectors, and fostering cultural exchange that transcends geography.

I hope my legacy reflects a world where collecting is thoughtful, immersive, and joyful—a space where artists from different geographies are recognized globally, where collections tell stories that transcend borders, and where the impact of my work is felt in the way art is both experienced and understood.