Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Born in Shimla, India, Avinash Chandra was raised in both Shimla and Delhi. His family initially intended for him to study engineering, and for the first six months of his enrollment at the Delhi Polytechnic Art School, his family remained unaware that he was pursuing art. He eventually graduated in 1951 with a first class degree in Fine Art and joined the faculty staff, where his students included Paramjit Singh, Arpita Singh, and Gopi Gajwani. In 1954, Chandra won first prize at the First National Art Exhibition of Art in New Delhi. He later received the g…