Princess Pea Wins Inaugural Swali Craft Prize

Princess Pea, the alter ego of Indian artist Natasha Preenja, has been named the winner of the inaugural Swali Craft Prize. The jury selected her for a body of work that interrogates gender, identity and self-worth through an unusual mix of satire, performance, and craft. Trained as a painter, Princess Pea moves fluidly across drawing, sculpture, photography and live intervention, often extending her practice through collaborations rooted in traditional techniques. Her distinctive approach, which probes how femininity and social roles are constructed and consumed, aligns closely with the ethos of the Chanakya School of Craft, which places women’s education, intergenerational learning and the transmission of inherited knowledge at its core.

Karishma Swali and the Chanakya Foundation, in partnership with India Art Fair, have introduced the Swali Craft Prize as an homage to the enduring and evolving language of craft. Conceived to recognise craftsmanship as both technical mastery and profound expression, the award is grounded in conceptual clarity, cultural resonance and sustainable practice. It celebrates artists who honour heritage while engaging the contemporary moment, advocating for ethical forms of production and knowledge-sharing that ensure traditions are carried forward. Through this lens, the Prize seeks to dissolve entrenched hierarchies between craft and fine art, reframing craft not as a static legacy but as an urgent and vibrant force within cultural discourse.

The winner of the inaugural edition will receive a grant of INR 11,00,000 and a fully supported month-long residency at the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, offering time, mentorship and resources to develop new work. The residency will culminate in an exhibition of final works at India Art Fair 2026 in New Delhi, with the possibility of travelling thereafter to a significant venue within India or abroad. For Princess Pea, the recognition arrives at a moment when the fields of craft, design and contemporary art are beginning to intersect with renewed seriousness, creating space for practices that challenge conventions while honouring the labour of making.