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Nek Chand (1924–2015) was an Indian artist, best known for creating an 18-acre sculpture garden known as The Rock Garden, Chandigarh in 1957. He died on 12 June 2015, aged 90, of a heart attack.
Wiki/Biography
Nek Chand Saini was born in Shakargarh, British India (now in Pakistan) on Monday, 15 December 1924 (age 90 years at death). He attended school for eight years and graduated from the University of Lahore. After the partition of India in 1947, Chand and his family shifted to Gurdaspur, Punjab, India. Later, in 1955, he moved to Chandigarh.
Family
Nek Chand belonged to a family of landlords from the village of Berian Kalan near Lahore (now in Pakistan).
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
Nek Chand married Kamla in 1950 and had a son named Anuj and a daughter named Neelam.
Nek Chand with his wife
The Rock Garden
Chandigarh’s iconic Rock Garden was inaugurated in 1976. Nek Chand Saini started the construction of the garden secretly in his spare time. Chand once said,
I started making this garden as a hobby in the 1950s.
Nek Chand with his idols
Nek Chand developed the stunning Rock Garden of Chandigarh over an area of 18 acres, which was eventually expanded. He spent 18 years searching for pebbles, stones and recyclable materials from garbage bins in the city. In an interview he said,
I had many ideas, I was thinking all the time. I loaded all the material on my bicycle and started collecting it here; I took three to four rounds on my bicycle every day. I saw beauty and art in what people considered useless.”
Nek Chand’s works
This garden was built entirely from household waste and other industrial items. Bangles, ceramic pots, tiles, bottles, electrical waste etc. were used to make sculptures. In fact, the garden is a blend of landscape, architecture, sculpture and mythology. The concept of a lost kingdom served as inspiration for the garden’s layout. It has 14 different chambers. The festive aspect of the Rock Garden especially appeals to the visitors during the Teej festival.
Rock garden layout
- Phase 1 consists of human and animal figures made from toilet equipment, broken glass pieces and broken tiles.
- Phase 2 is structured as a small traditional Indian village representing beautifully carved huts, pathways to temples, etc.
- Phase 3 is inspired by Roman architecture; There are swings hanging for people to enjoy the beauty.
- An open seating area with stairs called ‘Open Air Theatre’.
- Laughing Mirror display, camel and train rides, and doll museum.
exhibitions
Across the world, sculptures by Nek Chand have been installed in various museums and art galleries such as;
- Capital Children’s Museum in Washington, DC
- Museum of American Folk Art in New York City.
Exhibition of Nekchand’s sculptures in American Fort Art Museum
- Collection de l’Art Brut in Switzerland.
- John Michael Kohler Center for the Arts in the United States.
Exhibition of Nek Chand’s sculptures at John Michael Kohler Art Center
- The Royal Institute of Architects, British Gallery in Liverpool, England exhibited Chand’s incredible artwork from 16 April 2007 to 11 May 2007.
publications
Many authors have written novels about Nek Chand’s Rock Garden including:
- Brooke Davis Anderson (2006), Concrete Kingdom: Sculptures by Nek Chand.
- Lane Jackson (2007), Political Field: Nek Chand’s Rock Garden in Chandigarh.
- The Outsider Art of Nek Chand: The Rock Garden of Chandigarh, by Lucien Peyri, John Maizels, Philippe Lespinasse, Nek Chand.
- Archives, Ruins and Theatre: Architecture, Sculpture and Landscape in the Rock Gardens of Nek Chand, by Soumyen Bandyopadhyay and Ian Jackson.
Book written by Soumyen Bandyopadhyay and Ian Jackson
Awards and Honors
- Nek Chand was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 1985 for his incredible service to the arts.
- He was awarded the Grand Medal of Vermeil in Paris in 1980.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn