Books that defines a style: Chillida at ARTIKA

At ARTIKA we create books that mirror the talent and personality of each individual artist. San Juan de la Cruz by Eduardo Chillida is a project where all the elements, from the design to the choice of materials, align with the Basque sculptor’s style.

The spirituality of Chillida

San Juan de la Cruz is a book that perfectly blends the world of Eduardo Chillida (1924 – 2002) and the verses by the 16th-century mystic poet.

The spiritual dimension of his compositions and forms is a constant in the sculptor’s work. For example, his Toki Egin pays homage to San Juan de la Cruz through two Latin steel crosses, curved in an embrace.

Left: Detail from our art book by San Juan de la Cruz. ARTIKA

Right: Toki Egin. Eduardo Chillida.

Our artist’s book incorporates this religious element: a cross, designed by Chillida, is die-cut onto the cover of the book, which contains the complete poems of San Juan de la Cruz. The symbol appears on the cover and every page of the book. But this book has yet another distinctive feature, as we’ll discover below.

Verses forged by fire

If asked to think about an iconic image of Chillida, the spectacular Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) off the coast of San Sebastian surely comes to most people’s minds. This work shares its texture with our Art Book: the volume is bound in iron plates, the sculptor’s most characteristic material, and each plate undergoes a process of oxidation.

The choice of a sculptural material as binding fulfils, in turn, the values required by ARTIKA’s methodology: it is an innovative approach, requires a handcrafted process and guarantees that each volume is unique.

Left: Detail of the cover of our art book by San Juan de la Cruz. ARTIKA

Right: Peine del viento. Eduardo Chillida.

The soul is in the details

This spectacular metal book, which includes a Study Book and a series of 32 plates, is presented in a hand-made case-sculpture that also reflects the grandeur and strength of Chillida’s work.

On a wooden base, lined in black and white cloth, the case includes a handwritten quote from the artist, with his signature and stamp, as well as the cross designed by Chillida. The colours bring to mind materials like alabaster and concrete, which, along with iron, are among the materials Chillida used most often in his work.

The collaboration between ARTIKA and Eduardo Chillida resulted in a project in which the sculptor’s personality flows through each element. It was a particularly special project, since the Basque artist’s bedside book was Cántico Espiritual, by San Juan de la Cruz.

San Juan de la Cruz. ARTIKA

• • San Juan de la Cruz is a book that mirrors the characteristics of Chillida’s style: texture, strength and his philosophical vision.

• • From the Latin cross to the iron binding: all the pieces bear the artist’s personal stamp.

• An unrepeatable treasure that establishes a dialogue between poetry and art through the choice and treatment of materials.