Back Virtual Tour | Amar Nath Sehgal | The Man | The Artist | The Poet
Amar Nath Sehgal
(05.02.1922 - 28.12.2007)
Tribute to one of India's most prominent modern artist on his 100th birth anniversary
Artist's Profile
Amar Nath Sehgal was one of India's most prominent modern artists. He was born on 5th February, 1922 to Ram Asra Mal and Parmeshwari Devi in Campbellpur, Attock district in present-day Pakistan. As a child, he was an introvert by nature and spent most of his time indulging in artistic activities and adventures. Despite being born into an entrepreneurial family, he had a natural affinity to fine arts.
He received his formal education in Lahore and settled in India in the aftermath of Partition. He stayed in Kullu Valley for two years before moving to New York to join an art school at the University of New York. His appreciation of art was apparent, however his formal education led him to pursue a degree in Physics and Chemistry. After his return from New York, he collaborated with the Ministry of Community Development to promote and spread art education in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana. It took him nearly three years to accomplish this feat and establish his name in the field of arts. Amar Nath Sehgal had a keen interest in depicting poverty, famine, calamity and suffering of the human condition. The partition also had a major influence on the mind and imagination of the artist. His art reflected upon emotions like anguish, separation, trauma and destitution in the form of sculptures, paintings, graphics, tapestries, poems and so on.
An artist, craftsman, poet and philosopher, Amar Nath Sehgal's work in India and abroad reflects his quest to fathom the bedrock of man's experience rather than a preoccupation with any particular style. For he says, the style of his work is conditioned by the material, technique and mode of perception at the moment of creation. Sehgal observes beauty, wherever it be regardless of time, scale or culture. He is moved by people, their problems and their sufferings.
His work conveys an unshakable belief in the dignity and creative potential of life and the human form. It is no coincidence that some of his most powerful works have been executed in the memory of victims of political brutalities. They express his contempt for the increasing ugliness in life. The works of Amar Nath Sehgal are indeed aesthetic artefacts. They effectively communicate his thoughts and serve as a bridge between artist and viewer.
×
×
Start
×
Mentor
Shri Adwaita Garanayak,
Director General, NGMA
Curatorial Guideline
Dr. Shashi Bala, Curator
Research
Ms. Niharika Laskar
Concept, Design & Development
Shri S S Paul, Information Systems Manager, IT Section
Content Management
IT Section, NGMA
Image Reference for Artist's Profile
https://www.amarnathsehgal.com/about/#1951-1965
Image Reference for Works of Art
NGMA Collection
Image Processing
Shri Deepak Negi
Image Reference for Poem
https://www.amarnathsehgal.com/about/#1951-1965
×
Message from Director General
Amar Nath Sehgal's avant-garde works appeal not only to the Indian audience but also to the world at large. His extraordinary talents developed early and his artistic tendencies led him to explore and experiment with new ideas. He raised the standards and conventions of Indian art to develop it into a global phenomenon. Sehgal travelled around the world executing his artistic ideas and making a name for himself.
He eventually settled down in Luxembourg and in 1966 held his first solo exhibition there.
Known primarily for his sculptures, Sehgal is also adept at various other mediums including drawing, painting, tapestry and graphics. He portrays life and the human form with a firm belief in their potential for creative expression. The simple yet deeply expressive forms of his works which portray human emotions like anguish, dejection, oppression and hope resonate with a palpable pathos.
It is a pleasure to announce that on the occasion of his birth centenary, we have organised a virtual exhibition of his works in NGMA, New Delhi - one of the largest repertoires of his oeuvre. The exhibition will feature his sculptures and drawings that explore the era of modernism with elements of popular culture that have evolved over the years. He was a staunch advocate for artists’ intellectual property rights and encouraged budding artists from both India and Luxembourg to take an active interest in getting acquainted with the riches of their cultures. I am confident that the exhibition will be a triumphant success and a landmark in developing bilateral relations between the two countries.
Adwaita Gadanayak
Director General
×
Concept Note
To acknowledge an artist's creative process, one must align with the intent and purpose behind his creation, his relationship with the medium and his artistic impulse. We have had the pleasure of acquainting ourselves with Amar Nath Sehgal through his astounding legacy of artistic oeuvre. He created monumental works as a tribute to humanity's greatest accomplishments despite being afflicted by tragedy and pain. His uncompromising honesty is an exceptional characteristic trait that also manifests in his sensational creations. Amar Nath Sehgal was one of India's prominent modern artists. He was born on 5th February, 1922 to Ram Asra Mal and Parmeshwari Devi in Campbellpur, Attock district in present-day Pakistan. As a child, he was an introvert by nature and spent most of his time indulging in artistic activities and adventures. Despite being born into an entrepreneurial family, he had a natural affinity to fine arts. A skilled artist, celebrated poet and art educator, Sehgal studied engineering before pursuing the arts. He is well known for his expressionist art practice delivered through a range of mediums. His art is reflective of his unusual, troubled and colourful psyche. Amar Nath Sehgal's studio in New Delhi was converted into a modern museum featuring an outstanding display of his private collection. NGMA accommodates a substantial portion of the artist's collection as well. A range of artworks in diverse mediums including drawings, pastels and sculptures constitute the total collection here. The team at NGMA headed by the Director General Shri Adwaita Gadanayak has striven to make Sehgal's work available to a global audience through this virtual exhibition. This event is accompanied by a book launch to commemorate his intriguing odyssey on the occasion of his birth centenary.
←
→
-
-
Tyranny of Colonialism
Bronze (Wrought metal sheet)
183 cm
Acc. No. 1703
×In Tyranny of Colonialism the artist has chiselled a moving scenario of enslavement. There are four figures held within a chain, forming a sequence at the front of which is a reclining figure, about to be served a brutal sentence by his prosecutor. -
Cries Unheard
Metal
100x60.5x173(h) cm
Acc. No. 1769×Cries Unheard is an artwork created in resemblance with the concept of anguished cries, another creation of the artist is a bronze figure manifested in the form of a man, woman and child with their arms stretched out in the air and their mouths wide open. The representation is one of extreme despair and devastation including elements of expressionism and abstraction along with a figurative sculptural approach. The Giacometti-like forms taking an appearance is evident. The artist seems to be making a plea for a greater humanity and generosity by creating a sense of universality through the evocative gestures and horrifying expressions. The essence of the artwork is such that it creates an enigmatic emotion of humanist concern for the onlooker. -
Anguished Cries, 1971
Bronze
192x162x40(h) cm
Acc. No. 2715×Anguished Cries, an iconic sculptural work of the artist is symbolic of Sehgal's past experiences which embodies the extreme adversities undergone by people during the partition. The large mass of distinguishable faces come together in a united howl to create a fascinating interplay of tragic stridence and a drama of pain. It powerfully projects tragedy of injustice and pain of being ravaged as individuals, remains deeply embedded in the mind. -
Flute Player
Bronze with black base
30x30x58(h) cm
Acc. No. 3957×This sculptural depiction is one that seems to be of hefty form but its curvilinear structure gives it a quality of lightness and agility. The enlarged hand on the curved flute, emanating from the eagerly tilting head displays a dramatic effect. The figure hints towards a struggle to achieve abstraction along with a suggestion of figure. The hollows were used to create the feeling of echo. -
The Tortured (Fish Form), 1967
Bronze
102x24x70.5(H) cm
Acc. No. 4067×The figure is representative of the anguish and pain of the downtrodden classes in the form of an agitated fish. The prodigious rendering of the anatomical structure of the fish including its fin, mouth and gill flap gives a dramatic effect altogether. -
Hamara Akash, 1982
Bronze
20x21x20(h) cm
Acc. No. 11888×Humara Akash, "the sky is ours" was presented to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a tribute to the nation. It commemorates India's flights into space. The sculpture of triumph depicts a bird-like form carrying space itself complete with the moon and all its stars, akin to the post of Shiva in cosmic dance -
Bust of Sam Nujoma
Bronze
43x16x44.5(h) cmAcc.No. 13471×The bust of Sam Nujoma, a Namibian revolutionary who established the People's Liberation Army of Namibia and launched a guerrilla war against the apartheid government of South Africa. Most of his works are reflective of his political assertions and his stance on human rights issues that sends a clear message for the viewers and creates a feeling of reflection and introspection. -
Oppression
Bronze
30x19x31(h) cm
Acc. No. 13614×The driving force behind most of Amar Nath Sehgal's creations is humanity as is true for this sculptural depiction as well. Associated with human rights issues for a long time, a large number of his works are based on the suffering and miseries of the downtrodden and the anguish of the oppressed. -
Lala Lajpat Rai
Bronze
44x43x65(h) cm
Acc. No. 13987×The bust of Mr. Lala Rajpat Rai, a prominent leader played a prestigious role in India's struggle against British rule. His fierce brand of patriotism and articulate vocalism against the Britishers earned him the title of ‘Punjab Kesari’ or the Lion of the Punjab. The sculpture can be found in Lala Lajpat park, Jangpura. -
Head with Horns, 1986
Bronze
51x39.2x97.8(h) cm
Acc. No. 16479×An example of the conceptualization of Amar Nath Sehgal's glance on inhumanity is the sculpture titled Head with Horns in which an anomalous figure with two sharp penis-like projections on top, cylindrical eyes on the sides and a twisted mouth completes the composition. The distorted visage gives it an almost inhuman countenance. The artistic representation was an attempt at depicting the animalistic instincts in human beings that drive them to hostility and destruction. This work was dedicated to the International Year of Peace - 1996. -
The Crushing Burden, 1994
Bronze
28x28x69(h) cm
Acc. No. 16480×It portrays the imperils of overpopulation that is taking a toll on the country, where there is not enough to go around consequently leading to constant hunger and fear. The composition shows Mother Earth being crushed under the burden of burgeoning humanity. Amar Nath Sehgal expresses concern for the growing perplexity around the issue of an overpopulated mankind at large. The woman in the sculpture carries on her head blobs of humanity instead of toils of work, and overwhelmed by their weight her contorted face is an indication of the coercion she is under. ‘Crushing Burden’ was unveiled at the 2nd World Conference on Population in Mexico City, 1985.
←
→
-
-
Figure, 1952
Pen on Paper
30.5x38 cm
Acc. No. 4068×This sketch is a figurative representation of the female body that shows a woman flaunting her bare body while gazing at the onlooker. One of her legs is resting on the floor while the other one is standing upright, pointing ahead in such a manner that her crotch is visible. -
Nude, 1952
Ink on Paper
26.5x34 cm
Acc. No. 4069×This sketch of two female nudes side by side seems to be a comparison between the human anatomy of two female figures. The one in the front shows a stout and paunchy woman gazing peacefully towards her right. The figure on the left shows minimal variation except the facial structure and the sharp and forceful strokes whereas the one on the right has soft, light strokes almost like shading. The two figures are shown standing in the contrapposto pose, a distinctive feature of antique sculpture.