Eight Western Australian artists have been selected to travel to India later this year as part of two international exchange programs linked to the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, strengthening cultural and artistic ties between Australia and India.
The artists will take part in exchanges across Delhi, Kutch and West Bengal in October 2026, working alongside Indian artisans, curators and creative practitioners through collaborative projects focused on craft, design and community engagement.
The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, known as IOTA, said four artists had been selected for the Maitri Exchange in Delhi and Kutch, while another four would participate in a collaboration project in West Bengal led by Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif.
Artists selected for the Maitri Exchange are Jenna Lee, Lilly Mae Kerley, Maxxi Minaxi May and Tarryn Gill. The West Bengal collaboration team includes Monique Tippett, Michael Barlow, Mike Bullock and Bjoern Rainer-Adamson.
The Maitri Exchange will involve a residency program and research itinerary through Delhi and Kutch, including engagement with artisan communities and craft organisations. The exchange is being delivered in partnership with Indian curators Kallol Datta and Shaleen Wadhwana.
The West Bengal collaboration forms part of a larger Australia-India creative partnership linked to IOTA27 and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Artists will contribute to the development of a large-scale installation project involving bamboo, reclaimed materials and digital systems.
The West Bengal collaboration forms part of a larger Australia-India creative partnership linked to IOTA27 and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Artists will contribute to the development of a large-scale installation project involving bamboo, reclaimed materials and digital systems
IOTA Executive Director Carola Akindele-Obe said the exchanges were intended to create lasting cultural relationships across the Indian Ocean region.
“These exchanges are about more than travel — they are about building meaningful, long-term relationships between artists, communities and cultures across the Indian Ocean region. Through shared making and knowledge exchange, artists expect to gain new perspectives that will resonate in their work and in the experiences we offer audiences in Western Australia.”
The organisation said the exchanges would support artists in expanding their practices through international collaboration and material experimentation ahead of IOTA27.
IOTA said four artists had been selected for the Maitri Exchange in Delhi and Kutch, while another four would participate in a collaboration project in West Bengal led by Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif
IOTA Curatorium member Sharmila Wood reflected on the organisation’s earlier visit to India, where representatives travelled through Kerala, Jaipur and New Delhi meeting artists and institutions including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
“Craft isn’t marginal in these contexts. It’s central to culture, to economy, to identity. Maitri means friendship, connection, mutual respect.”
Among the selected artists is Jenna Lee, whose work explores language and identity through installations and sculpture, and Lily Mae Kerley, whose artistic practice draws on cultural stories and experiences growing up in Geraldton.
Maxxi Minaxi May, a multidisciplinary artist based in Fremantle, has worked across sculpture, printmaking and installation for more than three decades, while Perth-based artist Tarryn Gill works across photography, performance, theatre design and sculpture.
The West Bengal project will be led by Asim Waqif, whose installations have been exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale. His practice combines architecture, environmental themes and collaborative making processes.
The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial is a Western Australian not-for-profit organisation focused on contemporary craft practices across the Indian Ocean region. Its projects are supported by Creative
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