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, ...