Reviving traditional Indian art in a contemporary context

Heritage, reimagined for the modern collector.

Founded by Krishna Lal, Krishnayan brings together paintings, textiles, handicrafts and artifacts shaped by India’s living traditions and presented with curatorial care.

  • Founded in 2015 in New Delhi
  • Led by a former National Museum keeper
  • Built to champion artisans and endangered craft traditions
Interior of the Krishnayan flagship store
Krishna Lal at Krishnayan

Krishnayan exists to preserve, conserve, revive and promote traditional Indian art forms by giving artisans visibility, market access and contemporary relevance across mediums.

About Krishnayan

An art-led house rooted in scholarship, craftsmanship and cultural continuity.

The vision

Krishnayan was created to patronize artisans and their work so that Indian art and handicrafts continue to thrive in India and abroad. The brand brings craftsmen and their traditions to centerstage with stronger viewership, better markets and more durable livelihoods.

The approach

Traditional techniques are translated into contemporary formats: textiles, home accents, wall art, tablescapes, wearable pieces and collector objects that feel relevant to modern interiors and everyday life.

The ambition

From the flagship store in New Delhi to a wider global audience, Krishnayan positions Indian heritage craft not as nostalgia but as a refined, living design language, supported by a close-knit business structure that combines curatorial depth with overseas outreach and contemporary growth thinking.

Featured Collections

Curated across art, object and textile traditions.

Pichwai wall hanging from Krishnayan

Paintings

Devotional and decorative works including Pichwai, Tanjore, Gond and other traditional Indian painting vocabularies.

Sanjhi art frame from Krishnayan

Handicrafts

Handcrafted objects, framed art, trays, table accents and utility pieces translated from heritage motifs and regional craft knowledge.

Textile and dupatta design from Krishnayan

Fabric

Apparel and textile-led pieces shaped by Indian decorative traditions, from fine fabrics to wearable expressions of regional artistry.

Gond art frame from Krishnayan

Artifacts

Collector-worthy decorative pieces that bring narrative, symbolism and handcraft detail into contemporary spaces.

Art Forms

Explore the regional traditions behind the collections.

Discover embroidered, painted and dyed traditions including Kantha, Phulkari, Zardosi, Madhubani, Gond, Pichhwai, Tanjore, Patachitra and more in a dedicated collections page.

Open collections page

Paintings

Browse a more focused view of Krishnayan’s painting catalogue.

See featured works across Gond, Saura, Chintz, Pichhwai, Tanjore and Madhubani, with materials, formats and a more gallery-led presentation.

Open paintings page

Corporate Gifting

Looking for art-led corporate gifts and branded swag?

Explore diaries, drinkware, tableware and custom digital-art formats adapted for thoughtful gifting, festive hampers and brand-led cultural gifting.

Open gifting page

Founder

Krishna Lal brings five decades of decorative arts and textile expertise to the brand.

Krishna Lal retired as Keeper, Decorative Arts and Textiles, at the National Museum, New Delhi, after more than three decades of service. She later advised the Cultural Archives of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and worked on projects for the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Educated in history and trained in museography at Ecole du Louvre, Paris, she has coordinated exhibitions, authored research-led publications and devoted her post-museum years to helping Indian craft traditions find new relevance and reach.

That vision now extends through the family and business around her, with Rupali Mathur helping expand Krishnayan’s presence overseas and a newer growth layer supporting ecommerce, customer-facing development and brand scale.

34 years

At the National Museum, New Delhi

1971-72

Scholarship for museography at Ecole du Louvre, Paris

2015

Krishnayan flagship store launched in central New Delhi

Ongoing

Research, publications and artisan-led cultural revival

Editorial & Research

A cultural practice supported by both public recognition and published scholarship.

Media & Press

Interviews, profile features and editorial coverage highlight Krishna Lal’s journey from museum leadership to founding Krishnayan as a platform for Indian craft revival.

Open media page

Publications

Books, catalogues and research-led writing reflect decades of scholarship in Indian decorative arts, textiles, museum work and cultural history.

Browse publications
“Our aim is to bring Indian arts and crafts into the drawing rooms of people and translate art into objects of everyday utility and beauty.”

Visit & Inquire

Experience the flagship store in the heart of New Delhi.

Discover curated paintings, textiles, handmade decor and collectible objects selected with a museum eye and a contemporary sensibility.

Address5 Asia House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

Emailkrishna.lal@krishnayan.in / krishna.lal@hotmail.com

Instagram@krishnayan.in

Krishnayan flagship store display