APRE (pronounced “App-reh” . "ऐप्रे")
APRE is a contemporary art gallery based in Colaba, Mumbai, dedicated to advancing rigorous artistic practice and critical discourse. Founded by Prerna S. M. Jain, an alumna of Christie’s Education, New York, the gallery was formalised in 2022 and works with emerging and established artists with urgent voices.
APRE has since expanded into a new space at Arshiwala Mansion, a heritage building in Colaba. The gallery presents work by South Asian artists, including practitioners from across South Asia. Its programme extends beyond Mumbai through curated projects in New York and New Delhi, alongside participation in key art fairs including the India Art Fair.
Grounded in research and cultural responsiveness, APRE is recognised for its exhibitions and commitment to long-term engagement with artists, collectors, and institutions.
APRE’s institutional practice extends beyond the exhibition space to the development of the wider arts ecosystem. Through WARC+, its research fellowship on underrepresented women artists; the APRE Emerging Practice Grant; Front Matter, its curatorial initiative; and Corpus, its performance initiative, the gallery supports research, critical writing, curatorial development and artistic experimentation. These initiatives form an integral part of APRE’s work.
Under Public Field, APRE’s public programme, The Forum, Lumens, its film and moving-image programme, and Image Makers, a series of one-on-one conversations with practitioners across the visual and creative industries, extend the gallery’s engagement into wider cultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
Through its exhibitions and research-driven initiatives, APRE Art House contributes actively to shaping contemporary art discourse within South Asia and its wider global contexts. Since its founding, APRE Art House has presented over 35 exhibitions and it’s new, expanded space is now open.
Prerna S.M. Jain (Founder/Director)
Prerna S. M. Jain is the Founder and Director of APRE Art House, Mumbai, a contemporary art gallery established in 2022. An alumna of Christie’s Education, New York, where she earned a Master’s degree in Modern and Contemporary Art and Its Markets, Jain spent five years in New York working across the auction, advisory and gallery sectors. Her practice brings together art-market experience, critical writing, exhibition-making and institutional development, informing her approach to building APRE as a platform for contemporary art, research and critical discourse.
Jain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Rachana Sansad, Mumbai. Her formative training spans France and the United States, including studies under Ted Seth Jacobs in Vihiers, France, and at the Florence Academy of Art, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy. She has also studied at The New School and Node Center for Curatorial Studies, and holds a diploma in Indian Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha, Mumbai.
Prior to establishing APRE, Jain worked with Christie’s auction house, HK Art Advisory and Van Der Plas Gallery in New York. These experiences across different sectors of the art world inform her understanding of the relationships between artistic practice, market structures, critical reception and institutional visibility.
Jain is committed to strengthening the arts ecosystem across India and South Asia. Her work focuses on building the institutional infrastructure, networks and resources that support artistic and curatorial practice.
Jain has contributed art criticism to ARTnews, The Daily Star and Kashmir Reader. She regularly lectures at Sir J. J. School of Art, MIT Institute of Design, Somaiya School of Design and FLAME University, and served as Visiting Faculty in Art Business at Sir J. J. School of Art during 2024–25.
Outside her professional practice, Jain pursues mountaineering, ice climbing and pottery.