“A History of India Through Chairs” at the House of Mahendra Doshi is a timely exhibition one that repositions design objects as critical historical texts. By tracing the evolution of the chair across India’s indigenous pre-colonial traditions, colonial encounters, and modernist movements, the exhibition underscores how everyday forms quietly record shifts in the ways of living.
For contemporary collectors, the relevance of this exhibition lies in its emphasis on provenance, originality, and context. Each chair has been meticulously restored and presented not as a decorative artifact, but as a bearer of cultural memory.
The collection offers an opportunity to engage with objects that possess both historical depth and enduring aesthetic intelligence. It encourages collectors to move toward thoughtful stewardship and long-term cultural value.
From a historical perspective, the exhibition functions as a living archive. The legacy of collecting initiated over fifty years ago by the late Mahendra Doshi what which has expanded with sensitivity by his family members Anand Gandhi
@anandgandhi08 and Chiki Doshi
@chikid317 who are the custodians of his legacy and understand an evolving yet deeply informed landscape of India’s material culture.
The exhibition is designed by Architect Supriya Gandhi
@theworkshoparchitects with Art Direction and conceptualised by Vivek Gandhi
@vivekgandhiphotography , for The House of Mahendra Doshi. The exhibition invites slow looking and critical engagement, making space for reflection at a moment when design heritage of the past needs a new spotlight.
Opening on 28 February 2026 at the Wadala showroom of the House of Mahendra Doshi, A History of India Through Chairs speaks directly to today’s collectors, historians, and cultural practitioners affirming that to collect responsibly now is to preserve legacy for the future.
Photo:
@vivekgandhiphotography 
