Himmat Shah (b.1933) primarily works with terracotta and bronze, which also ties him to his birthplace, Lothal, one of the essential sites of the Harrapan Civilization. He also works with plaster and ceramics and has experimented with forms, mediums and techniques in his artistic journey. Shah has worn several hats, such as doing murals, drawings and collages, but remains a sculptor at heart. His practice seems to come naturally, as he uses self-designed hand tools to shape, carve and mould his works in his desired way. Shah has been a member of Group 1890, a short-lived artists’ collective founded by J. Swaminathan.
Himmat Shah has several solo and group exhibitions in India and cities worldwide. He has received the Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh (2003). Himmat Shah also received the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) Award, New Delhi (1996), and the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, New Delhi (1988). In 2016, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art held a retrospective, ‘Hammer on the Square’, showcasing Shah’s famous terracotta sculptures, bronzes, drawings, lesser-known murals, burnt paper collages and silver paintings.
Initially training as a drawing teacher at Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, he studied painting at M.S. University, Baroda (1956 to 1960). He was a National Cultural Scholar (1956) and received a French Government scholarship to study etching at Atelier 17, Paris (1967).