Two emerging Indian artists, Rutuja Sonawane and Mohammad Riyaz, have been selected for the Raza–Students’ Biennale Scholarship 2026, an academic and artistic mobility programme that will enable them to undertake a semester at Beaux-Arts de Marseille in France. Supported by the French Institute in India, the Raza Foundation and the Kochi Biennale Foundation, the scholarship aims to strengthen artistic exchange between India and France while providing young artists with opportunities for international education and research.
Two Artists Selected from 183 Participants
The result was announced in New Delhi on 28 October 2026, the selection follows a two-month evaluation process involving participants from the 2025–26 Students’ Biennale, an educational initiative from the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF).
Sonawane and Riyaz were selected from a total of 183 participants. Their semester at Beaux-Arts de Marseille will run from 21 September 2026 to 29 January 2027.
The selection jury comprised Shaleen Wadhwana, an independent arts educator, researcher and curator; Umah Jacob, Director of External Relations and Outreach at India Art Fair; Rajyashri Goody, an artist based in Goa whose work examines caste, Dalit resistance and food and water politics; and Osheen Siva, a multidisciplinary artist from Thiruvannamalai presently based in Goa.
Scholarship Supports Artistic Education and Mobility
The programme provides financial and educational assistance to the selected artists during their stay in France. The French Institute in India and the Raza Foundation jointly support travel, accommodation and living expenses. Additionally, the French Institute in India provides two months of online French-language classes before the artists’ departure.
The initiative is part of a two-phase exchange programme designed to encourage artistic mobility between the two countries. In December 2025, two students from Beaux-Arts de Marseille, Kaki Weiss and Nina Durel, participated in a two-week residency in Kochi, from 1 to 15 December. They developed original works during the residency with support from grants provided by the Kochi Biennale Foundation. Their work was subsequently exhibited at the sixth edition of the Students’ Biennale, held from 12 December 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Rutuja Sonawane Explores Music, Memory and Community Histories
A graduate of Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, Rutuja Sonawane’s artistic practice examines the connections between sound, memory, identity and community histories.
Her installation People’s Orchestra, presented at the 2025–26 Students’ Biennale at VKL Warehouse in Mattancherry, Kochi, traces the history of Swar Samrat, a brass band established nearly 50 years ago by her father, Bhagwan Sonawane, in Satana, Maharashtra.
Rooted in Ambedkarite thought, the band’s original compositions address education, equality and empowerment. Through painting, portraiture, installation and found objects, Sonawane works with old musical instruments, leather and textiles to explore how personal and collective memories can be preserved through artistic forms.
During her semester in Marseille, she hopes to investigate how sound, music, archives and collective memory can be translated into contemporary visual and spatial forms. She also plans to experiment with new materials and installation approaches while researching her father’s journey and the wider history of the community associated with the band.
Mohammad Riyaz Connects Textile Practices with Rural Experiences
Mohammad Riyaz, who is pursuing an MFA in Painting at the Government Institute of Fine Arts, Gwalior, works across painting, textiles, tailoring and installation.
His collaborative project Inheritance of the Hand, created with artist Aman Kumar Bavariya and presented at Arthshila Kochi, explores traditional craft techniques through contemporary painting. The artists work with manjarpat, a raw muslin associated with India’s colonial history and histories of resistance, labour and economic control.
In his individual practice, Riyaz uses stitching, painted muslin and textile construction to examine the lives and struggles of Indian farmers. His work reflects on land, dignity and the challenges experienced by rural communities.
Growing up on his family’s farm and learning sewing alongside his mother have influenced his approach to materials and artistic expression. At Beaux-Arts de Marseille, he intends to undertake further research into textile-based practices and installation, while exploring ways to communicate personal memories and experiences to wider audiences.
Building on S.H. Raza’s Artistic Legacy
The scholarship also draws inspiration from the artistic journey of S.H. Raza, whose relationship with France forms an important part of the programme’s history. In 1950, Raza travelled to France on a French Government scholarship to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He later established a studio in Gorbio, where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years.
Grégor Trumel, Director of the French Institute in India, said the programme builds on the institution’s collaboration with the Kochi Biennale Foundation and its commitment to supporting artistic mobility at different stages of an artist’s career.
Ashok Vajpeyi, Managing and Life Trustee of the Raza Foundation, also expressed the foundation’s support for the exchange, highlighting the historical connection between Raza’s journey to France and the opportunities being created for emerging Indian artists.
Strengthening India-France Cultural Exchange
The Raza–Students’ Biennale Scholarship 2026 provides an opportunity for two emerging artists to engage with a different educational and cultural environment while developing their individual practices. Through international exposure, research and interaction with artists and educators, the programme aims to expand professional networks and introduce new perspectives on contemporary art.
By connecting artistic education with cultural exchange, the initiative also contributes to a broader dialogue between Indian and French art communities. Its emphasis on supporting emerging practitioners creates opportunities for personal artistic development while bringing different histories, materials and social experiences into international conversations about art.
