Chillida Juantegui, Eduardo

▪ 2003

      Spanish Basque sculptor (b. Jan. 10, 1924, San Sebastián, Spain—d. Aug. 19, 2002, San Sebastián), crafted monumental abstract pieces, many of which were installed in public spaces in cities throughout Europe and the U.S. Although Chillida occasionally worked in wood, alabaster, or terra-cotta, the majority of his significant sculptures were in iron, steel, concrete, or granite and displayed a use of elemental forms and open space that reflected both his architectural training and his essentially ascetic vision. His most popular and admired work, Peines del viento (“Wind Combs”), consists of a series of three massive sculptures of twisted iron jutting out from the rocks overlooking the coast near San Sebastián. Chillida studied architecture at the University of Madrid (1943–47) and art in Paris (1948–50) before returning to his Basque homeland to settle permanently. He had his first one-man show in Madrid in 1954 and in 1958 was awarded the sculpture prize at the Venice Biennale. Many other international honours soon followed, notably the Carnegie International Prize in 1964 and the Andrew Mellon Prize in 1979. In the 1970s Chillida campaigned for the release of Basque prisoners, but he never endorsed violent separatism. The Museum Chillida-Leku opened in Zabalaga near San Sebastián in September 2000.

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