Sakshi Ruia is no stranger to sculptures; in fact, she grew up among them—having witnessed her father Rajesh Bhandari at work, at her family’s four decade-old foundry and studio called Shilppam. It was a space where she had the opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of sculptors and artists. So, when Ruia traversed through India’s art world, she couldn’t help but notice a gap: There was no dedicated gallery or institution working only with sculptures.

“Outside India, the shift towards—and acceptance of—mixed media works came much sooner. In our country, handicrafts and antiques have always been appreciated. But when one spoke of art, it was mostly about paintings,” she observes. The last few years have been witness to a shift, as artists experiment more keenly with materials and mediums and buyers open up to displaying textile and ceramic pieces in their homes and offices.