Nek Chand ROCK GARDEN - A mosaic fantasy waterfall - the black samurai

Nek Chand Garden Mosaic Sculpture fountain chdigarh, india - savagecorp

India’s Vast Trash Garden a Monument to Recycling

Pallava Bagla
in Chandigarh, Punjab, India
for National Geographic News
October 7, 2002

A glorious testament to the artistic and intrinsic value of trash stands in the middle of the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana, India’s storied northwestern state on the border of Pakistan.


Rock Garden in Chandigarh on Flickr - briandubois

Called the “Rock Garden,” this sprawling amusement “kingdom” has been made completely from waste materials.

Nek Chand’s Junkwall detail on Flickr - diametrik

“Built of industrial waste and thrown-away items, the Rock Garden in the city of Chandigarh is perhaps the world’s most poignant and salient statement of the possibility of finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental.” Carl Lindquist - Nek Chand’s Rock Garden at Chandigarh, India

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider Art Wall of Electricity on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV

Created by celebrated artist Nek Chand, the garden highlights the value of materials many people consider trash.

Nek Chand Rock Garden Recycled materials - ska ska202

For Chand, the Rock Garden is an expression of his hope for humanity and an idea that came to him four decades ago. “It all started out of personal curiosity,” said Chand, emphasizing that while others looked at trash as a problem that needed to be “hidden away,” he saw it as something that could be creatively transformed into art.

Mosaic Artist Nek Chand - Recycling Genius, Outsider Art - rougetete

Nek Chand started building his trash garden in the 1950s with urban and industrial waste, using everything he could lay his hands on, including stones and boulders to represent humans and animals. Pallava Bagla - India’s Vast Trash Garden a Monument to Recycling

Who is Nek Chand?

Nek Chand, a humble transport official in the north Indian city of Chandigarh, began to clear a little patch of jungle to make himself a small garden area.

ROCK GARDEN Mosaic Pebble man - the black samurai

Nek Chand Rock Garden Pebble, Rock people Chandigarh, India - morleyroarly

He set stones around the little clearing and before long had sculpted a few figures

Nek Chand’s mosaic material stash ceramic tile broken crockery china- ToreaJade

recycled from materials he found at hand.

Nek Chand Rock Garden Mosaic Sculpture Bangle dudes - Carol Mitchell

Gradually Nek Chand’s creation developed and grew;

lil ppl rock garden ceramic tile mosaic art NeK Chand on Flickr - krazykrayons

before long it covered several acres

Figurenpark im Nek Chand Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke

and comprised of hundreds of sculptures

Bunte Figuren im Nek Chand Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke

Neck Chand monkey pebble art sculpture in rock garden on Flickr - baignid

set in a series of interlinking courtyards.

Moon over Nek Chand Mosaic Garden- Rock Garden on Flickr - rougetete

After his normal working day Chand worked at night, in total secrecy for fear of being discovered by the authorities.

Recycled Wall Art ceramic tile, motors, sockets, ceramic pots - Ajay in India Tallam

When they did discover Chand’s garden, local government officials were thrown into turmoil. The creation was completely illegal - a development in a forbidden area which by rights should be demolished.

Nek Chand Picassiette Ceramic Tile Mosaic Art Garden - Angad

The outcome, however, was the enlightened decision to give Nek Chand a salary so that he could concentrate full-time on his work, plus a workforce of fifty labourers.

Nek Chand Rock Garden A Fantasy Monument Chandigarh, India - raksh

Nek Chand’s great work received immediate recognition and was inaugurated as The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.

Nek Chand Mosaic ceramic tile picassiette steps on Flickr - travellingjohnny

Now over twenty five acres of several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards

Nek Chand garden, Rock Walls Chandigarh on Flickr - Rena S.

linked by walled paths and deep gorges,

Nek Chand Rock Garden chandigarh india cathedral on Flickr - diametrik

Nek Chand’s creation also combines huge buildings

Figuren über Wasserfall im Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke

with a series of interlinking waterfalls.

Nek Chand’s Sculptural Army above waterfall on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV

The Nek Chand Rock mosaic art people fountain sculpture - Matthew Winterburn

Ceramic Tile Mosaic Art Sculpture - Ant Smith

The Rock Garden is now acknowledged as one of the modern wonders of the world. Over 5000 visitors each day, some 12 million people so far, walk around this vast creation - the greatest artistic achievement seen in India since the Taj Mahal. Nek Chand Foundation

Where is Chandigarh?

Lower Shivalik Mountains on Sukhna Lake on Flickr - Pradeep

Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in Northwest India.

Le Courbusior Sculpture Open Hand official emblem of city of Chandigarh - Koshyk

Chandigarh, also called City Beautiful, is a city in India that serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, and is a union territory of India.

Le Corbusier Chandigarh, India on Flickr - duncid

Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning,

Fine Art Museum-Punjab University, Chandigarh on Flickr - Shubh M Singh

Chandigarh is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer.

Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, India on Flickr - Shubh M Singh

The city boasts a high standard of living with the highest per capita income in the country. Chandigarh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tags: art, mosaic, mosaic art, recycled art, outsider art, nek chand, rock garden, garden art, chandigarh, india, waterfall, sculpture, trash art, rocks, pebbles, ceramic tile, picassiete, pique assiette, modern art, architecture, le corbusier

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art bangle mosaic sculpture - Ant Smith

Nek Chand worked under cover of darkness for eighteen years, stealing away at the end of his working day as a roads inspector to his secret place - a clearing in the jungle.

nekk chand mosaic sculpture bright glass bangles on Flickr - mashu mashu

Bangle people Outsider art picassiette mosaic sculpture- Carol Mitchell

It was there that he created the legions of sculpted men and women, imaginary creatures, bears and monkeys, that would compose his magnificent ‘Rock Garden’.

Nek Chand Rock Garden on Flickr - Carol Mitchell

Nek Chand Rock Garden on Flickr - Carol Mitchell

Nek Chand, a humble man, turned his dream into reality through solitary determination.

Nek Chand Rock Garden picassiette mosaic sculpture - travellingjohnny

He scavenged discarded urban debris and transported hand-picked stones from nearby hills on his bicycle, in order to construct the characters that inhabit his realised dream of a kingdom of gods and goddesses.

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art picassiette mosaic sculpture - kashi293

Recycled Bangles Art Sculpture detail - Ant Smith

He carried water in bamboo containers so that his garden would be lush with plants. And he stood up to the city’s bureaucracy when it learned of his clandestine plan that violated local construction regulations and Le Corbusier’s master-plan for India’s new city of Chandigarh.

Nek Chand Recycled Art Bangle Mosaic Bird Rock Garden India - Carol Mitchell

Nek Chand bangle bird jewelry mosaic sculpture india on Flickr - Carol Mitchell

Recycled Bangles Mosaic Art Bird Sculpture Nek Chand India - Ant Smith

While city officials were not always enthusiastic about Chand’s undertaking, today they celebrate it.

Mosaic Art Sculpture, Recycled Bangle Jewelry Art Rock Garden on Flickr - Dey

bangle dudes mosaic art sculpture nek chand rock garden - fiercetigress

It was in 1976, when Nek Chand was 52 years old, after long years of quiet work and struggle, that the Garden was formally opened to the public. Tony Rajer - Nek Chand Foundation

Tags: art, recycled art, outsider art, sculpture, jewelry, bangles, mosaic, garden art, mosaic art, rock garden, nek chand, india, chandigarh

Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic sculpture - Andy Aye

With his keen eye and sensitive mind, Nek Chand painstakingly for over two decades collected stones of exquisite form and sizes for reasons nobody knew.

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art picassiette mosaic sculpture - Chris_Walker

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art picassiette mosaic people - Koshyk

Nek Chand Rock mosaic garden art, Chandigarh, India on Flickr - danidavis5

ROCK GARDEN - FANTASY MOSAICS - tHe bLaCk sAmUrAi

He also collected strange looking metal pieces, lag-stones, over-burnt bricks, broken pots, china-ware, tree trunks, weeds, rags, plastic dolls, battered hats, broken coloured bangles, used shoes, fused bulbs, worn out tires, bottles, parts of rusted bicycles, discarded building materials, birds’ nests - you name it!

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art picassiette sculpture- travellingdenise

Nek Chand Garden Art Mosaic Sculpture - mirthwood

Chandigarh Nek Chand picassiette mosaic sculpture - Daveybot

Nek Chand Rock Garden smoking hookhas mosaic art sculpture - Carol Mitchell

Chandigarh, India picassiette mosaic sculpture - morleyroarly

Nek Chand’s imagination had no bounds and all kinds of objects he came across became handy for its fulfilment. His dreams are unending and so are his creations - he goes on and on! M.N. Sharma - Nek Chand Foundation

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - fiercetigress

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art mosaic sculpture - pedroquintelaborges

Cups and saucers Mosaic People and animals pique assiette - Two little Shutterbugs

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India- Carol Mitchell

Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider art mosaic wall- travellingjohnny

Chandigarh India - Nek Chand’s rock garden art sculpture on Flickr - jratcliff

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - Uli Franke

Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India- sahiljatana

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - P Donovan

THE RIDING MASTER on Flickr - tHe bLaCk sAmUrAi

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - pauldornau

mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - Room 13 Scotland

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - blaighnid

Nek Chand Rock Garden mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - tHe bLaCk sAmUrAi

Nek Chand Fantasy Rock Mosaic Art Garden sculpture on Flickr - Huan1

Nek Chand Rock Garden sculpture Chandigarh, India - wanderer’s rest

Chandigarh- Nek Chand’s rock garden art mosaic people on Flickr - jratcliffe

Nek Chand mosaic town art sculpture Chandigarh, India - Two little Shutterbugs

Ceramic tile art people sculpture Nek Chand india on Flickr - diametrik

Chandigarh India mosaic art sculpture - jratcliffe

mosaic art sculpture Chandigarh, India - sahiljatana

picassiette mosaic art sculpture - Carol Mitchell

Mosaic people picassiette art sculpture - Two little Shutterbugs

Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:

pique assiette

pique assiette - or picassiette ( a french term -”stolen from plate”) - pieces of broken pottery, china, glass, buttons, figurines, and/ jewelry are cemented onto a base to create a new surface. Almost any form can be used as a base, and any combination of pieces can be applied, restricted only by the individual creator’s imagination. m.a.s. mosaic glossary

Mosaic Art Source picassiette mosaic photo & resource archive

Nek Chand’s Rock Garden - Chandigarh, India - Velachery Balu

Nek Chand has stirred the imagination of rich and poor and persons of all races and nations, regardless of their beliefs. It is a mixture of folk-art and provocative plastic forms of all shapes and sizes, blended in a natural and most imaginative environment created by the Master of Arts.

Hobby horse on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs

Going through the narrow passages one can experience sudden surprises of beautifully landscaped open spaces articulated by sculptures reminding you of Henry Moore. Nek Chand’s architectural and engineering innovations have the touch of Antonio Gaudi.

Nek Chand rock garden picassiette mosaic birds sculpture - india - blaighnid
Of course, Nek Chand is unaware of such big names or their works!

Nek Chand Garden mosaic birds pebble rock sculpture wall on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV

Nek Chand picassiette mosaic goose garden sculpture - fiercetigress

Nek Chand picassiette & pebble mosaic garden sculpture - mirthwood

The only dream Nek Chand was not aware of was that one day he would rank among the great masters and would receive unmatched recognition and the most prestigious awards.


Nek Chand - Rock Garden Art walls stones pebble mosaic on Flickr - rougetete

Nek Chand picassiette mosaic peacock garden sculpture- fiercetigress

NNek Chand picassiette mosaic garden sculpture - rougetete

Nek Chand is far greater than his creations.


Nek Chand picassiette mosaic horse garden sculpture - fiercetigress

Dog mosaic sculpture, Picassiette Rock Garden Chandigarh, India - Dey

Nek Chand Rock Garden Art sculpture pebbles on Flickr - Carol Mitchell

He does not speak much, but his creations speak volumes for him. M.N. Sharma - Nek Chand Foundation

Nek Chand pebble mosaic bear garden sculpture - fiercetigress

Nek Chand pebble mosaic animal garden sculpture - fiercetigress

Nek Chand outsider art mosaic and elephant garden sculpture - pashasha

Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic garden sculpture - Ant Smith

Animaldom at Rock Garden on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs

More mosaic animals on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs

Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic animal sculpture - fiercetigress

Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic dog sculpture - pedroquintelaborges

Ceramic tigers on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs

Wooden monkeys mosaic outsider art on Flickr - Indian Curry

Monkey see, monkey do on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs

Monkey sculpture Nek Chand india outsider art - Ant Smith

Nek Chand Rock Garden Art Sculpture - Ant Smith

Tags: art, outsider art, recycle, nek chand, rock garden, mosaic, garden art, stones, pebbles, mosaic, animals, birds, creatures, ceramic tile, china, india, chandigarh

Little Chapel, Architecture & Garden art on Flickr - the-electronic-firefly

The Little Chapel in Guernsey is just five metres by three metres and “possibly the smallest chapel in the world”.

picassiette steps to archway to little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg

In 1913 Brother Deodat, a religious refugee from France, saw the location and received a vision of recreating the Lourdes grotto and chapel on the hill.

picassiette archway to little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg

Little Chapel broken china, plates, crockery on Flickr - photo_blog_farley

picassiette mosaic walls of little chapel on Flickr -zenitpeterburg

walls broken china pebbles of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpeterburg

picassiette mosaic walls of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg

Mosaic Art walls chapel at Guernsey 104 on Flickr - Annemoni

broken china in walls of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg

Little Chapel pique assiette exterior on Flickr - Van Tassel

He actually built it three times, demolishing it twice, the first time as a result of unspecified criticism,

Little Chapel picassiette architecture - Guernsey on Flickr - modogoo

the second because the Bishop of Portsmouth hadn’t been able to get through the doorway.

Little Minature Chapel mosaic architecture on Flickr - Artoo UK

In 1939, he built this version, the smallest of the three attempts.

little chapel mosaic interioron Flickr - zenitpetersburg

The chapel is decorated inside and out with seashells and pieces of china:

mosaic chapel wall texture picassiette on Flickr - dmcneil

little chapel picassiette walls on Flickr - xxxrmt
by the time he had come to the third attempt, his project had become famous and islanders brought him tiles and coloured china from all over the world.

Little Chapel pique assiette mosaic interior on Flickr - dmcneil

The Little Chapel picassiette mosaic ceiling on Flickr - Artoo UK

Little Chapel pique assiette interior stained glass shells tile Flickr - dmcneil

St. Bernadette picassiette mosaic on Flickr - Auntie Doris

infront of little chapel picassiette on Flickr - zenitpetersburg

From a distance the colours and design make a pleasing whole, close-up it’s amazing to see all the different pieces used to create the effect.

Where is Guernsey?

The Bailiwick of Guernsey (French: Bailliage de Guernesey) is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets. Although the defence of all these islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, Guernsey is not part of the UK but rather a separate possession of the Crown, comparable to the Isle of Man. Guernsey is also not a member of the European Union. The island of Guernsey is divided into 10 parishes. Together with the Bailiwick of Jersey, it is included in the collective grouping known as the Channel Islands. Guernsey belongs to the Common Travel Area. Guernsey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:

pique assiette

pique assiette - or picassiette ( a french term -”stolen from plate”) - pieces of broken pottery, china, glass, buttons, figurines, and/ jewelry are cemented onto a base to create a new surface. Almost any form can be used as a base, and any combination of pieces can be applied, restricted only by the individual creator’s imagination. m.a.s. mosaic glossary

Mosaic Art Source picassiette mosaic photo & resource archive

Tags: art, mosaic, mosaic art, garden art, pique assiette, picassiette, chapel, little chapel, guernsey, smallest chapel, mixed media, architecture, shells, pebbles, broken china, china,

The Mosaic Art 2007 CD Yearbook is here!


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Tags: mosaic, art, mosaic art, mosaic cd, mosaic art cd, mosaic art yearbook, special, contemporary, contemporary mosaic, modern mosaic, modern art, mosaic art source, news,