Himmat Shah was born in 1933 in the historic city of Lothal, Gujarat. His early orientation into art came from his early acquaintance of the Indus Valley Civilization. The same can be seen in his terracotta sculptures which are similar in forms and technique. He studied art at Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai and at M. S. University, Vadodaria. He received a French scholarship to visit Paris and study etching. He experimented in varied mediums ranging from painting, drawings, terracotta, wood, metal and mixed media. The goverment of Madhya Pradesh honoured him with Kalidasa Samman in 2003 for his artistic contributions. His art is part of several prestigious national and international collections. Himmat Shah lives and works in New Delhi.