Amar Nath Sehgal
About
Born in Campbellpur, Pakistan on 5th February 1922 to Ram Asra Mal and Parmeshwari Devi, Indian Modern artist Amar Nath Sehgal was their fourth child of the seven children. Educated in Lahore, Sehgal shifted to India after Partition in 1947. After a two-year stay in the Kullu Valley, he left for New York. Sehgal learnt to appreciate art as a child, but his conventional education led him to pursue a degree in Industrial Chemistry and Physics. In 1948, he moved to New York where he pursued art at New York University.
“…. Sehgal’s impressive bronze inspires optimism that we can continue to improve the lives of all our peoples.”
—Jimmy Carter
Timeline
1922
Campbellpur, Attock District, Pakistan
On 5th February 1922, Amar Nath Sehgal was born in pre-partition, Colonial India.
He graduated in Science (B.Sc. with distinction in physics) from Government College, Lahore.
Following this, he spent a year studying industrial Chemistry in Benaras.
1941
Lahore, Pakistan
1944 – 1945
Lahore, Pakistan
Sehgal’s first job was as an engineer in Lahore.
He studied at the Lahore School of Fine Arts.
Studied under B.C. Sanyal and became life long friends with P.N.Mago.
Studied art at the Mayo School of art.
1945-1947
Lahore, Pakistan
1947
Kullu Valley, India
Sehgal along with his family migrated to Independent India.
Sehgal’s first exhibition was a group exhibition at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi.
1948
New Delhi, India
1949
New York, USA
Sehgal migrated to the U.S.A. He received a scholarship to study at NYU.
He completed his Masters in ‘Art Education’ from the School of Education, New York University.
He began working in his studio at 543 East 6th Street, New York, U.S.A
He had his solo exhibition at the Public Library, New Rochelle, New York.
1950
New York, USA
1951
New York, USA
His exhibition, Sculptures by Amar Nath Sehgal, was held at Arthur U. Newton Galleries, October 16- November 2, 1951, on 11 East 57 Street, New York.
His solo Exhibition, India’s Dance Form, by Amar Nath Sehgal was held at Arthur U. Newton Galleries, New York, USA.
After leaving America, Sehgal traveled extensively from West to East Africa.
He had a solo exhibition in Kampala Jirya, Uganda, East Africa and was commissioned to create the bust of His Highness Aga Khan.
After leaving America, Sehgal traveled extensively from West to East Africa.
He had a solo exhibition in Kampala Jirya, Uganda, East Africa and was commissioned to create the bust of His Highness Aga Khan.
1952
USA and Africa
1953
New Delhi, India
The artist moved back to India and began teaching in Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi.
This is where he met Miss Shukla Dhawan, who would later become his wife. She was a teacher of English and Science at Modern School.
Organised a pilot project on the revival of folk arts in Jharsa district, Haryana, for the Government of India.
His first open-air show was held at Modern School, New Delhi.
1954
New Delhi, India
1955
New Delhi, India
Amar Nath Sehgal and Shukla Dhawan tied the knot at a ceremony in New Delhi
Later they had two sons, Raman and Rajan Sehgal.
Sehgal was appointed by UNESCO to study and survey folk arts in India.
He was also appointed as an Art Consultant by the Ministry of Development and Cooperation.
1957
New Delhi, India
Sehgal was awarded the Sculpture Award by Lalit Kala Akademi for his work ‘Onward March’.
Sehgal was awarded a Gold Plaque (President’s Award) for his work ‘Cries Unheard’.
He participated in the National Exhibition of Art by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1958.
1958
New Delhi, India
1959
India
Sehgal’s sculpture, ‘Voice of Africa’ was presented to Dr. N’Krumah, President of Ghana by Prof. Humayun Kabir, Minister of Cultural Affairs, New Delhi.
Participated in a seminar on Architecture, organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
Participated in a seminar on Cultures of South East Asia, organized by UNESCO, in Chennai.
The bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was commissioned by the Amritsar Municipal Committee and installed in Ram Bagh Garden / Company Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab.
1960
Punjab, India.
1961
New Delhi, India
Sehgal’s sculpture ‘A Cricketer’ was presented by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the Pakistan cricket team as a gesture of goodwill during their maiden visit to New Independent India.
Amar Nath Sehgal completed the commissioned bronze mural for the India International Conference building, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The work was about 2000sq ft large.
The project began in 1957 and took him 5 years to complete.
He donated his Gold Plaque (President’s Award) to the National Defence Fund to raise funds for the Indo-China War.
1962
New Delhi, India
1963
New Delhi, India
The 7-foot bronze sculpture, ‘To Space Unknown’ was presented by Prime Minister Nehru to the Government of USSR, during Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s visit to India, celebrating the success of their first manned mission to outer space.
Sehgal visited the U.S.S.R. at the invitation of the Union of Artists.
Worked on the bust of former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, S.R.W.D. Bandaranaike, and presented it to his wife, former Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike during her visit to India.
Worked on the Bust of Lala Lajpat Rai, a celebrated freedom fighter.
Worked on the bust of Ajoy Kumar Ghosh, a freedom fighter and prominent leader of the Communist Party of India.
Worked on the bust of then President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
Worked on the bust of then President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain.
He had a one-man show at Paulskirche, Frankfurt, Germany.
Solo exhibition at Belgrade, Serbia
He also received a fellowship to travel to the U.S.A., Scandinavia, Germany, and France from the Ford Foundation.
1964
Germany and Serbia
1965
France and Germany
He had his solo exhibition, Amar Nath Sehgal-sculpteur indien, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, from 15th January to 15th February, 1965.
Exhibition Amar Nath Sehgal – Skulpturen, Haus am Lützowplatz, was held in Berlin, Germany, from 8th August to 29th August.
He exhibited at the Sculpture Biennale, Rodin Museum, Paris.
He also had a solo exhibition at Cultural Centrum, Ghent, Belgium.
He had his much celebrated solo exhibition at the Musée D’Histoire et D’Art, Luxembourg.
The artist moved with his family to Brussels, Belgium.
He resigned from the post of Art Consultant, Ministry of Community Development, Government of India.
1966
Europe
1967
Europe
Solo exhibition at the Flemish Akademi of Art, Antwerp, Belgium.
Also had a solo exhibition at Galerie Brassau, from 24th November – 5th December in Luxembourg.
Installation of the ‘Rising Tide’ sculpture at the Ford Foundation, New Delhi.
Installation of the ‘Conquest of the Moon’ sculpture at the White House, Washington DC, U.S.A.
Began work on the sculpture ‘Peace and Non-Violence’ inspired by Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.
Completed the sculpture ‘Monument to Communal Unity’ / Ishwar Allah Tere Naam.
1968-1969
India and USA
1971
Berlin, Germany
Inaugurated the monumental ‘Anguished Cries’ in West Berlin.
Solo exhibition, Amar Nath Sehgal-selected Sculptures, Graphics and Drawings 1947-1972, was held at National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.
The exhibition celebrated 25 years of Indian Independence.
He also had a One-man show at Siemens House, Munich, Germany.
He also had a One-man show at Siemens House, Munich, Germany.
The sculpture ‘Monument to Love and Non-Violence’ was inaugurated by Mrs. Coretta Scott King at the Jangpura studio, New Delhi, along with Andrew Young, an American politician and civil rights leader.
Installation of the ‘Monument to Aviation’ at the Palam Airport, New Delhi.
1972
India and Germany
1973
Tokyo, Japan
Sehgal participated in the Tokyo International Fair with a display of his sculptures.
He took part in the World Seminar for ‘The Role of Art in Contemporary Society’, organised by UNESCO, Paris.
1974
Paris, France
1975
Luxembourg and Canada
Sehgal was part of a group exhibition at the Aerogolf Hotel, Luxembourg.
He published the book Der Innere Rhythmus, a collection of his poems translated in German.
Exhibited at the City Hall, Ottawa, Canada
Exhibited at the India House, New York.
1976
New York, USA
1977
Germany and France
Exhibited at Rathaus, Fransheim, Germany.
He exhibited at the Frankfurt Airport as well, for another exhibition.
Organised an International Children’s Art Workshop for UNESCO in Paris.
It was in 1977 that the Government of India gave orders to dismantle the 2000 sqfoot bronze mural at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi without informing the artist.
Former President Jimmy Carter unveiled the sculpture ‘Rising Spirit’ at the White House, Washington DC along with Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Prime Minister Morajee Desai.
1978
Washington DC, USA
1979
Baden-Baden, Germany
Sehgal exhibited at the India Centre in Baden Baden, Germany.
He also exhibited in the new cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
1980
U.A.E.
1981
India and U.A.E.
He presented Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi with the sculpture ‘Hamara Akash’ to celebrate India’s first satellite ‘Aryabhata’.
He had a solo exhibition in Jeddah.
He had his solo exhibition, Amar Nath Sehgal: Sculptures, Peintures et Gravures, Chaux de Fond, in Switzerland from 1st October 1 – 23rd October.
Inaugurated Bust of Gandhi in Municipal Park, Luxembourg city
He went on to established his studio in Luxembourg.
1982
Europe
1984
Mexico City, Mexico
Inauguration of ‘Crushing Burden’ at the 2nd World Population Conference by the United Nations in Mexico.
He received the U.N. Peace Medal for the sculpture ‘Crushing Burden’.
1985
New York, USA
1986
Europe
Established The Creative Fund in Luxembourg.
It was created to support young artists.
He created the sculpture ‘Head with Horns’ which was chosen to represent the International Year of Peace.
Inauguration of the sculpture ‘The Captive’ at the U.N. Conference on Sanctions Against South Africa, in the UNESCO House, Paris.
He had his exhibition, Form and Music, at the Cercle Munster, in Luxembourg.
1987
Luxembourg
1988
New Delhi, India
Release of the documentary film ‘A Portrait’. The film was directed by Rajiv Mehrotra and was sponsored by UNESCO.
He exhibited in New York.
1991
New York, USA
1993
New Delhi, India
He was presented with the Copper Plaque by Lalit Kala Akademi on 5th February at the institution.
Amar Nath Sehgal- Exhibition of Graphics And Sculpture, was an exhibition of his works at the Arpana Art Gallery from 12th March to 20th March.
Amar Nath Sehgal- Exhibition of Graphics And Sculpture, was an exhibition of his works at the Arpana Art Gallery from 12th March to 20th March.
1999
New Delhi, India
2000
Geneva, Switzerland
His celebrated sculpture ‘The Captive’ was unveiled at Palaris Wilson, office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
The sculpture ‘The Captive’ was installed at Robben Island. It was where Nelson Mandela was held captive for 27 years.
2001
Robben Island, South Africa
2004
New Delhi, India
Epic Episodes, an exhibition on Ramayana and Mahabharata was held by the IGNCA, New Delhi. The exhibition was inaugurated by President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
The artist moved back from Luxembourg to come back to live and work in New Delhi.
Creative Perceptions, an exhibition at the India International Center, was held on 6th August to 13th August.
The Artist with Mr. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of culture and Ms. Kapila Vatsyayan at the opening of his exhibition at the India International Center.
2005
New Delhi, India
2007
New Delhi, India
The Artist passed away on 27th December after a prolonged illness.
Awarded the Padma Bhushan Award, India’s third highest civilian award.
2008
New Delhi, India
A Life Less Known
Patrons
Jimmy Carter, former President of the USA
P.N Mago & B.C Sanyal, friends, mentors and trusted critics of the artist
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India
Amadou M’Bow, former Director General of UNESCO
Lala Raghubir Singh, Founder of Modern School, Barakhamba
Ford Foundation, New Delhi
K.B Lall, Indian Ambassador to Benelux
P.N Mago & B.C Sanyal, friends, mentors, and trusted critics of the artist
Francois Mitterrand, former President of France
Jimmy Carter, former President of the USA
Mr. Jean Cassou, French writer and art critic, former Director of the Musée National d’Art moderne in Paris.
Javier Perez De Culler, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Sheikh Rashid Ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, the Founder of modern Dubai
Thomas Bata, Czech – Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of the Bata Corporation
Dr. Zakir Husain, former President of India
The Oberoi Group
Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Mr. Pierre Werner, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India
Mulk Raj Anand, art critic, writer, and founding editor of MARG Publications
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first President of India
L. P Sihare, former Director General of NGMA
Henry J Leir, Industrialist and Philanthropist
M. S. Oberoi, Founder of the Oberoi Group
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India
Mulk Raj Anand, art critic, writer, and founding editor of MARG Publications
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first President of India
L. P Sihare, former Director General of NGMA
Henry J Leir, Industrialist and Philanthropist
M. S. Oberoi, Founder of the Oberoi Group
Sheikh Rashid Ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, the Founder of modern Dubai
Thomas Bata, Czech – Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of the Bata Corporation
Dr. Zakir Husain, former President of India
The Oberoi Group
Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Mr. Pierre Werner, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg
K.B Lall, Indian Ambassador to Benelux
P.N Mago & B.C Sanyal, friends, mentors, and trusted critics of the artist
Francois Mitterrand, former President of France
Jimmy Carter, former President of the USA
Mr. Jean Cassou, French writer and art critic, former Director of the Musée National d’Art moderne in Paris.
Javier Perez De Culler, former Secretary General of the United Nations
P.N Mago & B.C Sanyal, friends, mentors and trusted critics of the artist
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India
Amadou M’Bow, former Director General of UNESCO
Lala Raghubir Singh, Founder of Modern School, Barakhamba
Ford Foundation, New Delhi