Nek Chand (1924-2015) was a self-taught Indian artist, famous for building The Rock Garden of Chandigarh, an 18-acre sculpture garden in the city in 1957. Chand worked as a road inspector for the Public Works Department in 1951 in Chandigarh. He died of a heart attack on 12 June 2015 at the age of 90.
Wiki/Biography
Nek Chand Saini was born on Monday, 15 December 1924 (age 90 years; at the time of death) in Shakargarh in British India (now in Pakistan). They moved to Chandigarh in 1955. After eight years of schooling, and matriculation from Lahore University, he came to India with his family and settled down in Gurdaspur in Punjab when Pakistan was born, in 1947.
Family
Parents & Siblings
Nek Chand was born in a family of landlords in Berian Kalan village (now in Pakistan) about 90 km north of Lahore. There is not much information about his Parents and Siblings.
Wife & Children
In 1950, Nek Chand got married to Kamla. They were blessed with a daughter, Neelam, and a son, Anuj.
Nek Chand with his wife
The Rock Garden
The iconic Rock Garden was inaugurated in 1976. Nek Chand Saini started building the garden secretly in his spare time. Nek Ji says,
I started building this garden as a hobby” in the 1950s.”
Nek ji with his Sculptures
Nek Chand developed the stunning Rock Garden of Chandigarh in an area of 18 acres which eventually got expanded to 35 acres. For 18 years he navigated the city to find rocks and stones, and recycled waste from trash heaps. In an interview, he said,
I had many ideas, I was thinking all the time. I began carrying all the material on my bicycle and collecting it here; I did three to four rounds on my cycle each day. I saw beauty and art in what people said was junk.”
Nek Chand’s Creations
The garden was built solely with home waste and other Industrial items. Sculptures were created using bangles, ceramic pots, tiles, bottles, Electric waste, etc. It is a mixture of Landscape, architecture, sculpture, and mythology. The Layout of Garden is based on the fantasy of a Lost Kingdom. It has 14 different chambers. Tourists particularly enjoy the Rock Garden’s festive appearance during the Teej festival.
Major Attractions
- PHASE 1:- Toilet fixtures, broken glass pieces, and broken tiles have been used to create figures of humans and animals
- PHASE 2:- Once you enter you will feel like entering a small traditional Indian village representing beautifully carved huts, temples pathways, etc.
- PHASE 3:- It’s inspired by Roman architecture; swings are hanging for people to enjoy the beauty.
- Open Air Theatre:- An open seating ground with stair
- Laughing Mirror Display; Camel and Train ride.
- A must-visit:- Dolls Museum.
Exhibition
Chand’s statues have found their way into museums across the world, including;
- Capitol Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C.
- The American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
Exhibition at the American Fort Art Museum
- Collection de l’art brut in Switzerland.
- The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in the USA.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center
- An exhibition of Chand’s work also took place at the Royal Institute Architects of British (RIBA) gallery in Liverpool, England from 16 April to 11 May 2007.
Publications
Numerous authors have written novels about Nek Chand’s Rock Garden including:
- Brooke Davis Anderson (2006), Concrete Kingdom: Sculptures by Nek Chand.
- lain Jackson (2007), Politicised Territory: Nek Chand’s Rock Garden in Chandigarh.
- Nek Chand’s Outsider Art: the rock garden of Chandigarh, by Lucienne Peiry, John Maizels, Philippe Lespinasse, Nek Chand.
- The Collection, the Ruin and the Theatre: Architecture, sculpture, and Landscape in Nek Chand’s Rock Garden, by Soumyen Bandyopadhyay and Iain Jackson.
Book by Soumyen Bandyopadhyay and Iain Jackson
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- In 1980, Nek Chand was awarded the Grand Medal of Vermeil from the city of Paris.
- In 1985, Chand was presented with India’s Padma Shri award for distinguished service in the arts.
Death
On 12 June 2015, Nek Chand, at the age of 90, took his last breath after he suffered a heart attack at his residence in Chandigarh.
Facts/Trivia
- Nek Chand Saini was granted the title of “Sub-Divisional Engineer, Rock Garden,” a team of 50 workers, and the go-ahead to continue working as compensation for the work he had been doing. Saini would work in the garden for roughly 12 hours each day, designing, constructing, and organizing his mounds of scrap. His creations were never sold. In an interview he said;
I have had no formal education or training in art or drawing. I get inspiration from the objects I see and the ideas begin to take shape in my mind. I have a good sense of imagination and capacity to work hard. They help me embody what I visualise. I humbly believe I have the ability to see beauty in what many people consider junk or scrap. I reckon it is God’s gift to me.”
