Viraj Khanna

Viraj Khanna (born 1995) is an Indian visual artist known for his work in textile art, mixed media, and sculpture. He is the son of renowned fashion designer Anamika Khanna.

Early life and education
Khanna was born in Kolkata, India, in 1995. He completed a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 2018. He worked in the finance and embroidery sections of his mother’s fashion label before transitioning into art.

Artistic career

Beginnings
Khanna’s journey into art began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He started making collages from fashion magazines, posting them on social media, which eventually led to his debut exhibition.

Style and themes
Khanna’s art incorporates hand embroidery, textile collages, and digital commentary. His themes explore societal behavior, curated identities, and emotional vulnerability, often with satire and surrealism.

Notable exhibitions

 What My Mother Didn’t Teach Me (2021) – Gallery Art Exposure, Kolkata
 What My Mother Didn’t Teach Me: Part 2 (2022) – Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
 In My Fever Dream (2022) – Bikaner House, New Delhi
 India Art Fair (2023) – Tao Art Gallery booth
 BRAIN ROT: The Life You Live? (2025) – Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai

Materials and techniques
Khanna’s techniques incorporate traditional embroidery styles such as Zardosi and Aari, merged with mixed-media collage and digital aesthetics. He frequently uses “khakha,” a stencil material used in embroidery tracing, to create distinctive visual effects.

Recognition
In 2024, Khanna was named in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list in the Art category. His works have been featured in various Indian and international publications including Vogue India, Elle India, Architectural Digest, and Hindustan Times.

Personal life
Khanna is currently pursuing an MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago.

References

Category:1995 births
Category:Living people
Category:Indian artists
Category:People from Kolkata
Category:Textile artists