This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/15/arts/nek-chand-creator-of-a-sculpture-kingdom-in-india-dies-at-90.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nek Chand, Creator of a Sculpture Kingdom in India, Dies at 90 | Nek Chand, Creator of a Sculpture Kingdom in India, Dies at 90 |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| NEW DELHI — Nek Chand, an Indian artist who rose to prominence by quietly building a sprawling kingdom of folk sculptures in northern India that became one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, died on Friday in Chandigarh. He was 90. | |
| He died after having a heart attack, his son, Anuj Saini, said. | He died after having a heart attack, his son, Anuj Saini, said. |
| Mr. Chand’s life’s work, known as the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, covers several acres and is populated by rock sculptures and figures of dancing women and animals, many of them fashioned from found objects like the mudguards of motorcycles and broken bangles. | Mr. Chand’s life’s work, known as the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, covers several acres and is populated by rock sculptures and figures of dancing women and animals, many of them fashioned from found objects like the mudguards of motorcycles and broken bangles. |
| It stands in contrast to the striking if neglected government buildings conceived by Le Corbusier, who planned Chandigarh — the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana — in the 1950s. | It stands in contrast to the striking if neglected government buildings conceived by Le Corbusier, who planned Chandigarh — the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana — in the 1950s. |
| For some, the Rock Garden, which has thousands of visitors a day, is an antidote to what, with its stark Modernist buildings, is seen as something of a bureaucrat’s city. | For some, the Rock Garden, which has thousands of visitors a day, is an antidote to what, with its stark Modernist buildings, is seen as something of a bureaucrat’s city. |
| “It has made Chandigarh complete,” said Rupan Deol Bajaj, a retired bureaucrat from Punjab who has been an advocate of protecting the garden. “It has given a soul to the city.” | |
| The creation story of the Rock Garden has the tenor of a local epic. Mr. Chand was born Nek Chand Saini on Dec. 15, 1924, in the village of Barian Kalan, which became part of Pakistan after partition. He was newly arrived in the city of Chandigarh just after India’s independence in 1947. He worked for the government as a road inspector, according to the Department of Chandigarh Tourism website. But, Ms. Bajaj said, he became fascinated by found objects, including weather-beaten rocks. | The creation story of the Rock Garden has the tenor of a local epic. Mr. Chand was born Nek Chand Saini on Dec. 15, 1924, in the village of Barian Kalan, which became part of Pakistan after partition. He was newly arrived in the city of Chandigarh just after India’s independence in 1947. He worked for the government as a road inspector, according to the Department of Chandigarh Tourism website. But, Ms. Bajaj said, he became fascinated by found objects, including weather-beaten rocks. |
| “I started building this garden as a hobby” in the 1950s, he said in an interview with Agence France-Presse in December. “I had many ideas, I was thinking all the time. I saw beauty and art in what people said was junk.” | “I started building this garden as a hobby” in the 1950s, he said in an interview with Agence France-Presse in December. “I had many ideas, I was thinking all the time. I saw beauty and art in what people said was junk.” |
| By night he slipped onto a patch of land and artfully arranged rocks and construction waste behind a barricade of empty tar drums. | |
| “The beautiful stones he set aside, and then he would set them up like a jeweler,” said Ms. Bajaj, who was introduced to the sculptures in 1972, when, she said, the garden was still something of a secret. “When Nek Chand would pick them up and put them in a particular way, suddenly you could see, my God, this is a woman with a child.” | “The beautiful stones he set aside, and then he would set them up like a jeweler,” said Ms. Bajaj, who was introduced to the sculptures in 1972, when, she said, the garden was still something of a secret. “When Nek Chand would pick them up and put them in a particular way, suddenly you could see, my God, this is a woman with a child.” |
| The authorities learned of his work soon after, and a debate ensued over the future of the garden, Ms. Bajaj said, but a groundswell of support led to its official opening to the public in 1976. Mr. Chand was given the paid position of director of the rock garden, which he held until his death. | The authorities learned of his work soon after, and a debate ensued over the future of the garden, Ms. Bajaj said, but a groundswell of support led to its official opening to the public in 1976. Mr. Chand was given the paid position of director of the rock garden, which he held until his death. |
| The scale and location of the garden are inextricably linked to its appeal. Some residents prefer the early phase of the garden, with its rough rocks and sculptures that had been hidden behind a boundary wall, as opposed to the later additions made after Mr. Chand garnered the government’s support. | The scale and location of the garden are inextricably linked to its appeal. Some residents prefer the early phase of the garden, with its rough rocks and sculptures that had been hidden behind a boundary wall, as opposed to the later additions made after Mr. Chand garnered the government’s support. |
| Mr. Chand received many accolades, including a Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honors, and a handful of exhibitions across the world. | Mr. Chand received many accolades, including a Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honors, and a handful of exhibitions across the world. |
| India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, issued a statement on Friday saying that Mr. Chand “will always be remembered for his artistic genius and fabulous creation that is cherished by many.” | |
| In addition to his son, Mr. Chand is survived by his wife, Kamla; his daughter, Neelam Saini; and four grandchildren. | |
| Those who knew Mr. Chand described him as humble despite the praise he received — a self-taught folk artist who strolled the Rock Garden often, meeting locals. Many prominent city residents called him a friend. | Those who knew Mr. Chand described him as humble despite the praise he received — a self-taught folk artist who strolled the Rock Garden often, meeting locals. Many prominent city residents called him a friend. |
| His fancy was a defining characteristic, one that fueled the creation of his kingdom. | His fancy was a defining characteristic, one that fueled the creation of his kingdom. |
| “He was only playing with any material,” his son said. “Only playing, just like kids.” | “He was only playing with any material,” his son said. “Only playing, just like kids.” |