- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is organizing tribes art fest 2026 in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi, at Travancore House, New Delhi, from 2 to 13 March 2026 (open to the public from 3–13 March 2026).
The festival will bring together more than 70 eminent tribal artists and showcase over 1,000 artworks across nearly 30 tribal art traditions. It reflects the vision of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, highlighting the commitment to preserving tribal heritage and recognising tribal art, languages and traditions as a living heritage of India’s present and future. The festival aims to strengthen recognition of tribal culture while creating opportunities for identity, dignity and economic empowerment for tribal communities.
Over twelve days, tribes art fest 2026 will host curated walkthroughs, mentorship workshops for tribal art students, panel discussions, illustrated talks, live demonstrations, participatory workshops and daily cultural performances. Thematic panels will focus on tribal art revival and sustainable futures, tribal art in contemporary spaces, and livelihoods and market linkages. These sessions will bring together artists, curators, designers, collectors and institutional representatives to explore pathways from heritage to market. Special sessions will spotlight tribal women artists, including participatory engagements and a live women-led painting demonstration. The festival will conclude on 13 March 2026 with a ceremony honouring excellence and contributions in tribal art.
The exhibition will feature major tribal art forms such as Warli, Dokra, Bhil, Bodo, Koya and Pithora, among others. Renowned tribal artists including Japani Shyam, Rajesh Chaitya Vangad, Sudha Kumari, Lado Bai, Kingson Swargiary and Thorrem Venumadhavarao will participate. By enabling direct engagement between artists, collectors, galleries, designers, students and the wider public, the festival is expected to strengthen sustainable economic pathways and expand structured market linkages for tribal art.
Shri Jual Oram, Minister of Tribal Affairs, said the ministry has consistently prioritised the promotion of tribal art and culture along with strengthening livelihoods of tribal artists. He noted that through exhibitions, market facilitation, capacity-building initiatives and institutional collaborations, the ministry is building an ecosystem that connects tribal artists to national and global platforms. He added that tribes art fest 2026 will help preserve, promote and mainstream tribal art in India’s cultural and creative economy, expand market opportunities and enhance national visibility for artists.
By integrating curated exhibitions, structured dialogue, mentorship, academic engagement and public participation on a single national platform, tribes art fest 2026 aims to amplify tribal art in mainstream cultural discourse and contribute to the sustainable growth of India’s tribal creative economy, aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of viksit bharat @ 2047.
