An artist who is deeply committed to Euskal Herria
Néstor Basterretxea Arzadun was born in Bermeo (Bizkaia) on 6 May 1924. His family fled to France during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
He lived in Saint Jean-de-Luz, Paris and Aix en Provence for five years, until he and his family were forced to set sail to America when the Second World War broke out.
After an exodus of 460 days, and at the whim of the dramatic turn of events of the war, he reached Argentina in 1941.
An advertising draughtsman by trade, he soon began to paint. He was awarded the painting "Prize for Foreigners" at the Buenos Aires Art Salon. In 1952, he returned to Spain and settled in Madrid. He won the competition to paint murals on the crypt of the Aranzazu basilica.
His non-conformist and inquisitive mind drove him to take part in numerous artistic movements underpinned by a desire to change.
By June 2008, he had participated in 120 collective exhibitions in Europe and America. Special mention of his participation at the Venice Triennal, the Sao Paolo Biennal, the Basque Art exhibition in Mexico D.F., Rodin Museum in Paris, Arte Actual in Holland, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. He has held individual exhibitions in 50 capitals of Spain, Basque Country and USA.
His "Basque Cosmogonic" series of wooden sculpture is the recovery of our historical memory through the original mythology of our people and is considered Basterretxea's modular works.
Néstor Basterretxea is an artist who is deeply committed to Basque life in its many meanings. He has programmed and directed documentary films, such as the short film "Pelotari" or "Ama Lur" (in conjunction with Fernando Larruquert), a feature length film that shook our community for its positive and vital contents in a period when Franco's dictatorship sought to wipe Euskal Herria off the map.
Basterretxea's career has been as an intense as it has been extensive, as he uses all the expressive tools that the artist has within his reach to reflect the depth of his sensitivity.
He has recently worked on commissions from local councils and other private and public entities to produce huge sculptures and located them in public places.
Over 80 of his works can currently be seen in the gardens, roundabouts, parks and ports of the Basque Country, Valencia, Barcelona, Gerona, fundamentally, Argentina and the USA.
The work of this artist from Bermeo has been actively recognised by numerous prizes and awards, including the Eusko Ikaskuntza Award and the Lehndakaritza Prize, awarded by the Basque Premier, Lehendakari Ibarretxe, in 2007.
Néstor Basterretxea exhibits his works for the public at the "Idurmendieta" farmhouse (Hondarribia), where he lives.
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