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DECORATION + ART MODERN Master T he insouciance and minimalist glamour of the mid-century through the 1970s, with a little Memphis thrown in, has always defined the aesthetic of Mrs PK & Oz. Now owner/curator/director Patti Kagan holds court in a sleek new retail space, mere blocks from her previous address on Colquitt. Kagan, a former attorney, can discourse at lengths about the lines and construction of modernist masterworks she stocks — Vladimir Kagan, Harvey Probber, Milo Baughman, and Ico Parisi — the latter, a standout for a minimalist sectional sofa for Mim Roma, freshly upholstered in yellow Knoll wool that contrasts dramatically with its black base ($17,950). The 2,000-square-foot new space occupies the second floor of a promising new development along Portsmouth Street. She has assembled a beautiful series of vignettes you'll want to replicate at home, including chic little bar carts loaded with cocktail ware by A s India continues to dominate global business, it also dominates Houston this spring with two significant exhibitions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, stages "Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India," an over- the-top historic survey of decorative arts. It's the first time these treasures have left their repository in an Indian palace that dates to 1459, now preserved by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, which made the U.S. tour possible. Expect a rare peek into the riches of the maharajas and maharanis of the Rathore Dynasty, told via 250 objects: jewels, textiles and tapestries, palace furnishings, arms and armor, architectural treasures, sumptuous regalia, and even a 17th-century court tent. Concurrently, FotoFest's 17th International Biennial — the largest from outside of town." But she hopes this bold new iteration of her design temple will change that. Mrs PK & Oz, 2303 Portsmouth, 713.485.5508, mrspkandoz.com. Catherine D. Anspon India on My Mind Dorothy Thorpe, Fred Press, and Georges Briard (sets from $350). Only Kagan would pair a Romeo Rega dining table used as a desk with a Pratt earthenware Greco- Roman vase from the 1880s (a rare exception to her 20th-century focus) that winks to the Fornasetti she also carries — but it works. Meanwhile, a new collaboration with D'LightUs amps up the wattage of Mrs PK's collection of chandeliers, sconces, and table lamps. On any given day, Kagan may get a call from Kelly Wearstler, Bunny Williams, or a TV show to style its sets (as happened with the FX network's upcoming series Pose, a musical drama set during the '80s). Yet Mrs PK & Oz remains a bit of a secret in Houston — which is surprising, considering her years in the biz and her ability to discourse on under- known designers. A darling of shoppers on Decaso, InCollect, and 1stdibs, Kagan says, "Ninety percent of my clients come photographic convergence of its kind in America — presents artists from the subcontinent of India and the Indian diaspora for the first time ever. The action centers around Washington Avenue Arts District's FotoFest HQ at Silver Street Studios, Winter Street Studios, and the Silos on Sawyer, as well as Asia Society Texas Center. Forty-seven artists of Indian origin, including Houston's Prince Varughese Thomas, are featured in a show that promises revelations about the world's largest democracy. Lead curator Sunil Gupta and co-curator FotoFest's Steven Evans traveled throughout India and other destinations to review portfolios and conduct studio visits with nearly 150 artists. The result: 700 photographic images, video, and new media, including photographic sculpture, by artists whose subjects range from drag queens to ecology, street children, refugee camps, and myth and religion. "Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India," at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, through August 19; mfah.org. "FotoFest 2018 Biennial: India," at FotoFest (Silver Street Studios and other venues), through April 22; fotofest.org. Catherine D. Anspon JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON UMAID BHAWAN PALACE, PHOTO NEIL GREENTREE COURTESY THE ARTIST AND FOTOFEST Bert Harris' Portrait of Maharaja Sardar Singh, 1896, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Vicky Roy's Ravi, Seven Years Old, Begging for a Living near Indian Institute of Technology Flyover, New Delhi, from the series "Street Dreams," 2005 - 2008, at FotoFest 38 Patti Kagan