Founded in 1963 by Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy on the first floor of Jehangir Art Gallery, Chemould has been a cornerstone of India’s art scene since its inception. The gallery is dedicated to promoting and showcasing artists working across interdisciplinary and experimental media, and it maintains a significant presence in global art fairs on an international stage.

Artists have always been central to Chemould’s mission. The gallery has played a key role in launching the careers of leading Indian artists, including S.H. Raza, Tyeb Mehta, Bhupen Khakhar, Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, and L.N. Tallur, to name a few. Chemould has also coordinated major retrospectives in collaboration with public institutions, such as Jitish Kallat at the National Gallery of Modern Art Delhi (2017), N.S. Harsha at the Mori Art Museum (2017), and Mehlli Gobhai at the National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai (2020). Today, the gallery’s diverse and robust programming encourages a future of Indian contemporary art that embraces socio-political themes, ecological issues, and feminist concerns. Notably, 17 of the gallery's artists are women, highlighting a commitment to gender inclusivity and the visibility of diverse voices in the art world.

Beyond exhibitions, Chemould is committed to enhancing global access to its artists’ work through the writing and publication of catalogues, biographies, and monographs.

In 2007, Chemould relocated to a spacious and historic loft on Prescott Road in Mumbai’s Fort area. This location inspired the gallery’s rebranded identity, blending its future vision with its rich historical past. Under the directorship of Shireen Gandhy, the gallery has continued to grow, placing works in prestigious private and public collections, including the Guggenheim Foundation, Tate Modern, Kunsthaus Zürich, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the Cincinnati Art Museum, M+, The Art Institute of Chicago, MoMA, and The Met, among others.

In 2022, Chemould expanded further with Chemould CoLab, an extension programme of the gallery located in Colaba, Mumbai. Offering a platform for innovative projects beyond traditional gallery spaces, CoLab is cultivating the next generation of collectors and art enthusiasts. The programme features an annual summer residency from May to September, during which artists live and work in the vibrant neighbourhood. In addition to the residency and exhibition space, CoLab regularly hosts workshops and talks to engage the wider community.

Now in its sixth decade, Chemould’s enduring commitment to artistic innovation and cultural dialogue has firmly cemented it as a key presence in both the domestic and international art scenes.

Shireen Gandhy is a gallerist specialising in Indian Contemporary Art, and is the director of Chemould Prescott Road since 1988. She took over from her parents, Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy, who founded the gallery in 1963.

Gandhy received a degree in Art Administration at City University, London. She has built collections, curated exhibitions, and nurtured the careers of many of the most prolific Indian artists working today including Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, Shilpa Gupta and Reena Saini Kallat. 

With an expansive career as founding member of SOUTH SOUTH VEZA, jury member of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, committee member of Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Dubai, and India Art Fair, and coordinator of the first Johannesburg Biennale in 1993, Gandhy is renowned for her depth of knowledge and passionate advocacy for great works of art.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the gallery, Gandhy presented five exhibitions titled Aesthetic Bind, which looked at curatorial practices in contemporary art today. In conjunction with exhibitions, Gandhy has also produced artist monographs, editions, and catalogues, sharing the work of artists with audiences worldwide.

Now in the gallery’s 6th decade, Gandhy has opened a second exhibition space that focuses on emerging artists starting their careers, and is working with éka to bring together the family and gallery archive dating back to the 1800s.