






“ “Actually, I’m not an artist or a painter, not by a long chalk; what I am is a guy who knows how to look at things, who has learned to look and who loves beauty and transgression and everything else that there is in painting.” ”
Joaquín Sabina
A unique work that encourages the reader to reflect and to enjoy the aesthetic pleasure that Chillida’s art works and plays on words produce. A limited, numbered masterpiece that reflects the most personal and profound side of the artist on every page.
Artika, in conjunction with the Chillida-Leku Museum-Foundation, brings together all the writings the artist produced during the course of his life – his thoughts, the way he viewed art and understood life – together with a few carefully-selected items from his graphic works, chosen by the artist’s son, Ignacio Chillida.
Divided up into three volumes, all in loose leaf binding, the writings are comprised of flamboyant, striking compositions presented together with reproductions of drawings and collages taken from Chillida’s private notebooks and files.
Sixty high-quality facsimile prints take us on a journey through his long career, from the drawings of his early figurative stage to his conceptual period – it is the first time that such a personal compilation of the artist has seen the light of day.
The books are protected in an elegant box that acts as a painting frame. This original design enables the user to display any of the pages in the frame, since the leaves are not sewn together. This is a book that is always open on a new page, ever changing; a frame that is perfect for aesthetic enjoyment and reflection.
The work closes its perfect circle with a Study Book, produced by three authors who open our eyes to the artist’s graphic work and his thoughts.
As the Chillida-Leku Museum has kindly granted us access to the originals, the quality and accuracy of the prints is excellent.
The graphics have been printed in five colours using the stochastic screening technique, which means that none of the details of the originals have been lost.
The quality of the illustrations is painstakingly checked by graphic arts experts, as well as by representatives of the Chillida-Leku Museum.
The prints, which are on Rives Artist paper, have been fixed by hand onto grey paper, which serves to frame the print.
The pages of the books are not sewn, and so the pages are all folded, ordered and inserted by hand.
Created and assembled by craftsmen, the box is made from iron, glass and birch wood, and represents an ideal display unit for the work.
The box includes an iron lever on its left side which, when the top is opened, raises the books for their easy removal.
The books, which have a French dustjacket, are protected inside the box. The box can be locked with a key that has been exclusively designed for this work.
(1924-2002) Philosophy, spirituality, and mysticism are elements that are deeply rooted in Chillida’s thinking. The Spanish artist’s sculptural works play with the relation between volumes and spaces, matter and scale, by working with materials such as iron and cement. His starting point was the Ancient Greek sculpture, but his concern for inner form and his need to monumentalise art were always present. In addition to receiving numerous prizes, Chillida staged many exhibitions throughout the world, and his works can be found in the leading art museums and collections in Europe and the United States.