About | Kalai Gallery, Contemporary Art in London

MEET THE FOUNDER

"I created Kalai Gallery to ensure that people who look like me can walk into a luxurious auction house and feel at home. People of colour have made iconic contributions to the art world, bridging the gap between music, fashion, and art. I want to see my people enjoy the art they have created."

Kalai Gallery's founder Kaarthiga M first ventured into the luxury art market in 2022 when she began a masters in art, law and business at Queen Mary, University of London. During this course, she began a role at one of the world's top auction houses. While she was pleased to see many asian, black and ethnic minority artists be represented in the luxury art world, she quickly noticed a significant lack of representation in the management positions. This gap underscored a disconnect in understanding the needs and aspirations of people of colour artists and art collectors.Kalai Gallery aims to fill this gap by providing opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to find a community where they can create art, meet like -minded individuals, enrich themselves and gain access to legal advice should they need. Most importantly, the gallery aims to assist people of colour to climb the ladder in the luxury art sector.

Kaarthiga M, Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm, Sweden 2024

"This vision is exemplified by Skepta's £80,000 sale at Sotheby's, A$AP Rocky's fashion collaborations with AWGE and Yayoi Kusama's collaboration with Louis Vuitton. These artists showcase their multi-disciplinary talents, and I aim to create a space where music, fashion, and art collide—a space for the next generation."

MEET THE FOUNDER

​"I created Kalai Gallery to ensure that people who look like me can walk into a luxurious auction house and feel at home. People of colour have made iconic contributions to the art world, bridging the gap between music, fashion, and art. I want to see my people enjoy the art they have created."

"I created Kalai Gallery to ensure that people who look like me can walk into a luxurious auction house and feel at home. People of colour have made iconic contributions to the art world, bridging the gap between music, fashion, and art. I want to see my people enjoy the art they have created."