Samdani Art Foundation

The Samdani Art Foundation (SAF) is a private arts trust based in Dhaka, Bangladesh founded in 2011 by collector couple Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani to support the work of the country’s contemporary artists and architects. Led by Artistic Director and Curator Diana Campbell Betancourt, SAF seeks to expand the audience engaging with contemporary art across Bangladesh and increase international exposure for the country’s artists and architects.

Since launching in 2011, SAF has grown to offer programmes which support Bangladeshi artists and architects in broadening their creative horizons through production grants, residencies, education programs, and exhibitions. To achieve this, SAF collaborates with the Bangladeshi government through official partnerships with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

SAF aims to promote South Asian art to the world. It hosts a bi-annual Dhaka Art Summit, founded in 2012, which rejects the traditional biennale format to create a more generative space for art and exchange that re-examines how people think about form, style and technique in a regional and wider context.

SAF's vision is to enhance Bangladesh's place on the global art scene and spotlight emerging artistic and architectural talent in South Asia, through engagement with the international art community.