11 Facts About Nek Chand

Nek Chand Saini was a self-taught Indian artist, known for building the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, an eighteen-acre sculpture garden in the city of Chandigarh.

Nek Chand's family moved to India in 1947 during the Partition.

Nek Chand was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 1984.

Nek Chand recycled these materials into his own vision of the divine kingdom of Sukrani, New Delhi choosing a gorge in a forest near Sukhna Lake for his work.

Nek Chand's work was illegal, but he was able to hide it for eighteen years before it was discovered by the authorities in 1975.

Nek Chand's work was in serious danger of being demolished, but he was able to get public opinion on his side, and in 1986 the park was inaugurated as a public space.

Nek Chand was given a salary, a title, and a workforce of 50 laborers so that he could concentrate full-time on his work.

The Rock Garden is still made out of recycled materials; and with the government's help, Nek Chand was able to set up collection centers around the city for waste, especially rags and broken ceramics.

When Nek Chand left the country on a lecture tour in 1996, the city withdrew its funding, and vandals attacked the park.

Nek Chand's statues have found their way into museums across the world, including an environment at the Capitol Children's Museum in Washington, DC, the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and the main entrance to the Collection de l'art brut in Lausanne, Switzerland.

An exhibition of Nek Chand's work took place at the Royal Institute of British Architects gallery in Liverpool, England from 16 April to 11 May 2007.