Top 4 galleries you shouldn’t miss at Art Fair Basel 2026:
- Martina Nommsen
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Experiencing the 2026 list is like a balancing act between winding corridors, seemingly endless gallery spaces and the unmistakable acoustics amidst the throng of people. The outfits worn by many of the guests are a work of art in their own right: amidst crocheted cardigans, orange plush slippers and glittery heels, face-concealing sunglasses and plenty of wine glasses, the artworks in the white cubes almost fade into the background on the first day of the exhibition.
Sighs can be heard more than once, resigned glances sweep through the crowd, and murmurs of resignation become audible: “I’ve lost my way…”, “Oh, I’ve been here before!” or “Where do I go next?” – once again, the layout of the exhibition resembles a labyrinth that’s worth fighting your way through. At first glance, everything appears very white and understated (only one cube is painted black), with nothing that feels truly immersive (or have I overlooked it?), and many works displayed flat against the wall – the Liste opens with an almost overly classical impression, despite its reputation as the leading art fair for contemporary art.
With the floorplan in hand, I’m working my way through the numbers so as not to miss a thing. To help you focus, here are four galleries, complete with their locations, featuring selected female artists you definitely shouldn’t miss:
NO 1
Where: Booth 76
Gallery: Waitingroom, Tokio
Female Artist :Rikako Kawauchi
In her impressive solo exhibition, Kawauchi showcases her textile artistry with such intense passion that, for once, the eye is drawn to linger a little longer within a booth. Her exploration of food, bodily awareness and transformation comes together to form a line-dominated network that reveals subtle details. Exterior and interior spaces merge into a fragile web of finely spun threads.
NO 2
Where: Booth 22
Gallery: Afriart Gallery Kampala
Female Artist: Fiker Solomon
An Ethiopian artist focuses on the craft of handwork, traditionally associated with femininity. Earthy and vibrant colours in constant flux, amorphous forms and a deep understanding of nature elevate these tapestries to a new level, reflecting an intense engagement with the environment, transience and the nature of materials.
NO 3
Where: Booth 89
Gallery: PiLOT Galeri Istanbul
Female Artist: Irem Tok und Hamra Abbas
Paper, book pages, books – sculpture, photography, diorama. Tok navigates the fragility and ephemeral nature of paper as a material, transforming it into something enduring and fundamental. She engages in scholarship and research, interpreting and creating new worlds in relation to the inherent historical narrative of her medium.
NO 4
Where: Booth 41
Gallery: Ivan, Bucharest
Female Artist: Thea Lazăr
Embroidery within the textile field of arts and crafts, combined with botanical elements, is particularly fascinating when the fragile materials and elements form a symbiosis. Although working with textiles and embroidery comprises only a small part of the Romanian artist Lazăr’s oeuvre, it demonstrates her ability to combine this craft – traditionally viewed as feminine – with contemporary technology. Her embroidery hoops, covered in velvet and bound with ribbon, feature highly detailed depictions of rare orchid species, such as the Dracula Raven.
Have you been to the fair this year and perhaps come across these artists as well? Did the works on display at the art fair win you over? Or would you have liked to see something a bit more provocative?
By the way: Of course, I’ve counted for you how many female artists are on the list. A total of 105 galleries are exhibiting at the art fair, of which 58 (!!!) represent female artists:
Juliette Lena Hager (243 Luz & Co, London / Margate), Mackerel Safranski (A-Lounge Contemporary, Seoul), Valentina Artone (Acapella, Neapel), Amel Bashier (Addis Fine Art, Addis Abeba), Fiker Solomon (Afriart Gallery, Kampala), Megan Dominescu (Anca Poterașu Gallery Bukarest), Emma Adler (Anton Janizewski, Berlin), Natalie Sasi Organ (ara contemporary, Jakarta), Bernadette Van Huy, Lili Reynaud Dewar, Catherine Österberg, Ann-Sofie Back, Calla Henkel (alle Beau Travail, Stockholm), Lauren Satlowski (Bel Ami, Los Angeles), Lydia Ericsson Wärn (Brunette Coleman, London), Ileana Arnaoutou & Ismene King (Callirrhõe, Athen), Najaax Harun (Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, Bukarest), Cecilia Bjartma Hylta, Clara Hausmann (beide Cherry Hill, Köln), Margaux Moonen Guillaume (Cibrián, San Sebastián), Gabriele Rothemann, Helena Huneke (beide City Galerie Wien, Wien), Katarzyna Przezwańska, Julia Kowalska (beide Coulisse, Stockholm), Clara Rotermund, Eva Noeske, Mia Sanchez (alle Courtney Jaeger, Basel), Minseo Kang (Cylinder, Seoul), Eyrie Alzate (Diana, Mailand), Beatričė Mockevičiūtė, Gerda Paliušytė (beide Drifts, Vilnius), Erin Calla Watson (Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles), Elena Jones (Espacio Derivado, Sevilla), Gretchen Lawrence & Margaret Tashkova (Galerina, London), Marilyn Boror Bor (Galería Extra, Guatemala-Stadt), Mookmintra Jariyavidyanont, Miyabi (beide Gallery Ver, Bangkok), Lim Heejae (G Gallery, Seoul), Margherita Moscardini (Gian Marco Casini, Livorno), Alina Kleytman (Gunia Nowik Gallery, Warschau), Noorain Inam (Indigo + Madder, London), Thea Lazăr (Ivan, Bukarest), Noémie Degen (King's Leap, New York), Sarah Bogner (Livie Gallery, Zürich), Francesca Facciola (Lodovico Corsini, Brüssel), Mariann Metsis ()Margot Samel, New York), Maryam Jafri (Matteo Cantarella, Kopenhagen), Ju Young Kim (max goelitz, München/Berlin), Clémentine Bruno (Nicoletti, London), Chathuri Nissansala (Niru Ratnam, London), Shiho Saito (Numanohashi, Tokio), Yaz Taşçı (Ozgoren Gallery, Istanbul), Hamra Abbas, Irem Tok (beide PiLOT Gallery, Istanbul), Elina Vainio, Pamela Brandt, Milka Luhtaniemi (alle Pitted Dates, Helsinki), Ruofan Chen (Shower, Seoul), Lisa Herfeldt (Roland Ross, Margate), Coco Klockner (Romance, Pittsburgh), Aurora Arazzi (sangheeut, Seoul), Tereza Glazova (sentiment, Zürich), Sanna Helena Berger (Shahin Zarinbal, Berlin), María-Elena Pombo (Sorondo Projects, Barcelona), Sara Wu, Teyu Wang (ssspacespace, New Taipei City), Cécile Lempert (Super Super Markt, Berlin), Daria Koltsova (Suprainfinit, Bucharest), Johanna Ulfsak, Daria Koltsova (beide Temnikova & Kasela, Tallin), Katie Shannon (Tina, London), Rose Ras (Vin Vin, Wien), Rikako Kawauchi (Waitingroom, Tokio), Miriam Kongstad (Wilson Saplana Gallery, Kopenhagen), Wei Leng Tay (Yeo Workshop, Singapur).
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