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Born in 1933, in Gujrat, Himmat Shah initially trained as a drawing teacher and studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts of M.S. University, Baroda from 1956 tp 1960. He was a National Cultural Scholar in 1956, and received a French Government scholarship to study etching at Atelier 17, Paris in 1967.
Shah was a member of Group 1890, a short-lived artists’ collective founded by J. Swaminathan. The group’s first and only show in 1963, was opened by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Thereafter, the group dispersed and its members, including Shah, continued their artistic practices with their own agendas.
Shah’s predilection with drawing has been natural, it being a liberating and inexpensive as a form of expression. His skill extends up to using unruly lines to interpret complex visual fields with extreme ease, and the results are never predictable. He is obsessed with every detail concerning his technique, which lends richness to the form he manifests. The process of his creations is spontaneous and dynamic and his handling of medium, sensitive.
Himmat Shah designed and executed monumental murals in brick, cement and concrete at St. Xavier's School Ahmedabad from 1967-71 and has been working on relief and sculpture in plaster, terracotta and ceramics for about four decades, running great risks with no concern for the market.
Shah’s solo exhibitions include ‘Drawings and Sculptures’ presented by Studio Confluence at Jehangir Nicholson Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2007; a show at Saffronart and Berkley Square Gallery, London, in 2007; ‘Sculpture’ at Art Heritage, New Delhi, in 2002; and others held at Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2005; Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi, in 2000; Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, in 1994; the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 1982; and Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi in 1973. His work can be found in several important collections all over the world and he has received several awards and scholarships in his 50yrs of work experience.
Himmat Shah’s work has been a part of many groups shows, including ‘Yellow Deity: Contemporary Indian Art’ at the Ludwig Museum, Budapest, in 1997; Rediscovering the Roots’ at Museo de la Nacion, Lima, in 1997; ‘Ninth Triennale - Seven Artists from the Collection’ at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, also in 1997; ‘Festival of Indian Art’, Moscow, in 1996; and the Biennale de Paris in 1967 and 1970.
In 2003, the artist was conferred with the Kalidasa Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shah has also received the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) Award, New Delhi, in 1996, and the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, New Delhi, in 1988.
Born
July 22, 1933 - Lothal, Gujarat
Education
- 1966-7 Studied under S. W. Hayter and Krishna Reddy, Atelier 17, Paris
- 1956-61 Worked under Professor N.S Bendre, Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
- 1953 Drawing Teacher's Course, Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai
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| Exhibitions |
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- 2007 Drawings and Sculptures, presented by Studio Confluence at Jehangir Nicholson Art Gallery, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai
- 2007 Berkley Square Gallery, UK
- 2005 Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
- 2002 ‘Sculpture’, Art Heritage, New Delhi
- 2000 Art Heritage, New Delhi
- 2000 Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi
- 1997 'A Real Contemporary Vision’, drawings, Shahajahan Art Gallery, New Delhi
- 1994 Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
- 1983 Sculpture Exhibition, Art Heritage, New Delhi
- 1982 Exhibition of Drawings, Garhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 1979 Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
- 1976 Madya Pradesh Kala Parishad Gallery, Bhopal
- 1974 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi
- 1973 Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
- 1971 Konark Art Gallery, New Delhi
- 1966 Gallery Chemould, New Delhi and Mumbai
- 1965 Art and Print Gallery, Kolkata
- 1965 Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
- 1964 Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
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| Selected Group Exhibitions |
- 2007 ‘The Workshop’, India Fine Art, Mumbai
- 2007 ‘ A Matter of Forms’, Samanvai Art Gallery, Rajasthan
- 2006 'Tangibles', Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai
- 2006 Gallery Espace, New Delhi
- 2005 Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
- 2005 ‘Manifestations III’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai, Delhi Art Gallery and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 2004 ‘Manifestations II’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Delhi Art Gallery and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 2004 ‘Manifestations I’, World Trade Centre, Mumbai, Delhi Art Gallery and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 2000 Art Heritage Gallery, New Delhi
- 1999 'Notable Exceptions' – I'm Gallery, New Delhi
- 1998 'Living on the Edge', Art Inc. Gallery, New Delhi
- 1998 Art Inc. Gallery, New Delhi
- 1998 'Face to Face': Artists from Baroda, Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 1994 Group Exhibition of Still Life, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
- 1993 Drawings, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
- 1992 ‘Heads’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
- 1991 Nine Indian Contemporaries, Centre of Contemporary Art, New Delhi
- 1989 'Timeless Art', organized by the Times of India, Mumbai
- 1982 Represented in the Inaugural Show of Roopankar Museum, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
- 1980 Visual Art Centre, Ahmedabad
- 1978 Exhibition of Prints, Garhi, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi
- 1977 'Pictorial Space', New Delhi
- 1976 Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad Gallery, Bhopal
- 1967,68 Five Contemporaries, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
- 1964 Triveni Gallery, New Delhi
- 1963 Participated in 'Group 1890' Show, New Delhi
- 1962 Progressive Painters Group Exhibition, Ahmedabad
- 1957-58 Baroda Group Show, Mumbai
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| Participations |
- 2008-09 'Paz Mandala', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 1997 'Yellow Deity': Contemporary Indian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
- 1997 'Rediscovering the Roots' Contemporary Indian Art, Meseo de la Nacion, Lima, Peru
- 1997 Ninth Triennale - India Seven Artists from the Collection of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
- 1996 'Roopankar' Contemporary Indian Art - A Collection Festival of Indian Art, Moscow
- 1982 Festival of India Exhibitions London
- 1979 Silver Jubilee Exhibition of Sculpture, organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and Mumbai
- 1975 Participated in the Biennale - 13, Middleheim 1975, Antwerpen
- 1970 Biennale de Paris
- 1968 Triennale, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
- 1967 Biennale de Paris
- 1965 Selected for representation in 'Indian Painting Today', London · 1960 National Exhibition, Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
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| Honours and Awards |
- 2003 Honored by Kalidasa Samman by the Madhya Pradesh Government
- 1996 Received the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society(AIFACS)Award, New Delhi
- 1994-96 Awarded Emeritus Fellowship given to eminent artists in the field of Performing Arts, Literature and Plastic Arts by Government of India
- 1988 Received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, New Delhi
- 1983-85 Received the Government of Indian Fellowship to Outstanding Artists
- 1981-82 Received the Lalit Kala Akademi's Research Grant to work at Garhi Studio, New Delhi
- 1962 Received the Bombay Art Society Award, Mumbai
- 1962 Received the Lalit Kala National Award for Painting, New Delhi
- 1960 He was also Awarded Gold Medal by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art
- 1959 Received the Lalit Kala National Award for Painting, New Delhi
- 1956-61 Awarded by the Government of India Scholarship for Advanced Studies in Painting, under Prof. N.S. Bendre
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