SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN.- Spanish sculptor Jorge Oteiza, 94, died at the Policl韓ica Gipuzkoa of San Sebasti醤 after being hospitalized since January 30. Oteiza suffered from a severe lung obstruction illness. He will be buried later today at the Alzuza cemetery in Navarra, next to the tomb of his wife Itziar Carre駉, with whom he married in 1938. He lived in this area for many years and next to his house the Museo Jorge Oteiza has been buil. The museum will be inaugurated in the month of April.
Jorge Oteiza was born in Orio, Guipuzcoa, Spain, 94 years ago. He was the recipient of the Fine Arts Medal of Honor. He began studying medicine, but in 1931 he turned to sculpture. From 1935 he was an art professor in different Latin American countries, until 1948. During this period he wrote the 揕etter to American Artists on the new post-war. He founded the 揈spacio� group. He returned to Spain in 1949. In 1950 he was awarded the Great International Award of Sculpture at the S鉶 Paulo Biennial. Between 1953 and 1969 he collaborated with architect Francisco Javier S醗nz de Oiza in the sculpture decoration of the Church of Our Lady of Ar醤zazu, to which his famous frieze Fireze of the Apostles belongs to.
In 1963 he published 換uousque tandem. . . ! Ensayo de interpretaci髇 del alma vasca� (An essay to interpret the Basque soul). Three years later he founded the GAUR group. And in 1969 he founded the Deva School. Oteiza had been an enemy of the other great Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida, but they reconciled just before Chillida died.