Eduardo Chillida Spanish sculptor, graphic artist Date of Birth: 10.01.1924 Country: Spain

Biography of Eduardo Chillida

Eduardo Chillida Juantegui, also known as Eduardo Txillida Juantegi, was a Spanish sculptor and graphic artist. He was born on January 10, 1924, in San Sebastián, Spain. In his youth, Chillida had a passion for sports and even played as a goalkeeper for the football team 'Real Sociedad' in his hometown before a serious knee injury ended his career.

From 1943 to 1947, Chillida studied architecture in Madrid, and from 1948 to 1951, he resided in Paris, where he was exposed to archaic Greek sculpture. It was in Paris that Chillida began his journey into sculpture and had the opportunity to meet renowned artists such as Constantin Brancusi and Alberto Giacometti. His works caught the attention of French philosopher and art critic Gaston Bachelard.

At first, Chillida focused on human forms in his sculptures, primarily creating busts and torsos. However, his later works became more massive and abstract, often combining iron with graphics and newspaper collages. Despite this abstract nature, Chillida rejected the label of 'abstraction' and preferred to call himself a 'realist sculptor'.

Chillida's best works are characterized by their size and monumentality, often emphasizing movement and tension. One of his largest sculptures, 'De Musica', located in the United States, weighs 81 tons and consists of two columns with limb-like elements that do not touch each other. Many of Chillida's works draw inspiration from his connection to the Basque Country, and their titles are often in the Basque language, Euskera.

In his hometown of San Sebastián, Chillida left a significant impact, including his unique installation called 'Haizeen orrazia' (Wind Comb), located at La Concha Bay, known for its turbulent waters. His steel sculpture 'De Música III' was exhibited at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the United Kingdom as part of a retrospective of his works.

Near San Sebastián, in Hernani, there is an open-air sculpture park that showcases Chillida's works. In the early 1960s, Chillida engaged in an interesting dialogue with German philosopher Martin Heidegger. They discovered that they were working in the same "spatial direction" but from different angles. Heidegger wrote about the need for people to learn to recognize themselves in these architectural works, seeing them not just as occupying space but as embodiments of space. According to Heidegger, sculptures have the ability to show individuals how they relate to the world in the face of technological progress and homelessness.

Chillida once said, "All my work is an exploration of space. Space is everything alive that surrounds us... I don't believe too much in experience. I think that is conservative... I believe in perception - and this is something else. It is risky and more progressive. There is something that still wants to progress and grow. Furthermore, I think what you feel and perceive is a direct reflection of the present, but you stand firmly with one foot in the future. Experience, on the other hand, does the opposite: one foot remains in the past... In other words, I prefer the position of perception. All my works are children of questions. I am a specialist at asking questions, some of which remain unanswered."

Throughout his career, Chillida received numerous accolades for his contributions to the art world. He represented Spain at the Venice Biennale in 1958 and won the Kandinsky Prize in 1960, the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Prize and the North Rhine-Westphalia Prize in 1966. In 1987, he was awarded the Order of Prince of Asturias, and in 1991, he received the Imperial Prize of Japan. Eduardo Chillida passed away on August 19, 2002, in San Sebastián.