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A versatile artist, Amarnath Sehgal initially pursued a career as an engineer before turning his focus to the arts. In 1947, he studied at the Mayo School of Art (known as the National College of Arts since 1958) and Lahore School of Fine Arts, both in Lahore. Following this, he studied Art Education for three years at New York University. On returning to India in 1951, Sehgal worked closely with the Ministry of Community Development, and... A versatile artist, Amarnath Sehgal initially pursued a career as an engineer before turning his focus to the arts. In 1947, he studied at the Mayo School of Art (known as the National College of Arts since 1958) and Lahore School of Fine Arts, both in Lahore. Following this, he studied Art Education for three years at New York University. On returning to India in 1951, Sehgal worked closely with the Ministry of Community Development, and was instrumental in setting up folk art revivalist workshops in rural areas of North India. 

In 1966, Sehgal resigned from his position as Art Consultant for the Ministry of Community Development and moved to Europe. Over the next decade, he participated in a series of exhibitions in Paris, Berlin, Luxembourg, Antwerp, and Munich. In 1979, he opened a studio in Luxembourg. He went on to split his time between Luxembourg and New Delhi, and set up The Creative Fund in 1986 to help young artists from both countries discover and appreciate their rich culture and heritage. 

A versatile artist, Sehgal has worked with mediums ranging from sculptures, paintings, poems, graphics, and tapestries. Haunted by the terrible events he witnessed during the Partition of India, much of his work is highly expressive, portraying emotions such as anguish, helplessness, oppression, and hope. 

Sehgal enjoyed success in his lifetime, with his works forming a part of private and public collections all over the world, including the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, among others. He also received numerous awards throughout his career, one of which was the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship in 1993 - the highest honour in the fine arts conferred by the government. In 2008, Sehgal was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in recognition of his contributions to art and culture.

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