Eduardo Chillida was born in San Sebastian (Spain) on January 1924. From 1943 to 1947 he studied architecture in Madrid, before deciding to become a sculptor. He showed his work in Paris in the fifties, where he met Brancusi. The philosopher Gaston Bachelard nicknamed him "the Blacksmith" on account of his passion for the large-scale metal sculpture.
He also use others materials, such as wood, granite, and more modern ones such as stainless steel ansd concrete. His work on paper is an important part of his output, when he used ink, pencil or engraving, which he perfectly mastered, he would apply the same principle as to his sculpture. In order to obtain different levels, he would cut pieces out and make holes in the layers, treated in collage of newspaper, wrapping-paper etc., sometimes tied up with string. Chillida was awarded several prizes for his prints (etchings) and his sculpture, and his works were the Spanish exhibit at the 1958 Venice Biennale. In 1998 the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid held a big exhibitionof his work ; his first major retrospective show was held in 2001 at le Jeu de Paume in Paris. Chillida died on August 2002.