Eduardo Chillida

From then on, his abstract sculptures were made of iron, the preferred material of the artist. In his expansive sculptures Chillida dynamised the graphic-linear structures to that of monumentalised gestures of intuitively human movements. The surrounding space, for example the Basque cliffs ('Wind Combs', 1972-77) or the public space in front of the Berlin chancellery ('Berlin', 2000), are drawn into the arched curves of the compositions. Alongside his sculptures Chillida accomplished a comprehensive graphic oeuvre. His works have been shown many times at documenta (1959-77) and in 1958, he was awarded the International Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale. There followed comprehensive retrospectives in the 1980s and 1990s including at the New York Guggenheim Museum.