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ZIGOR
A LYRIC ABSTRACTION OF NATURE
— When man looks at the tree, he discovers space and joins time. — Zigor — The work of Kepa Akixo, known as Zigor, references organic shapes found in the landscape of his native Basque Country. A poet and photojournalist before becoming one of his country’s most significant sculptors, Zigor is an autodidact who was galvanized by the artist Remigio Mendiburu, an important inf luence on the cultural life of the Basque Country in the 1960s. Zigor works in a broad range of sizes, from small-scale to monumental, and is widely recognized for his creations in wood, bronze and steel. Inspired by the raw majesty of nature, Zigor often sees the final sculpture already present in the untouched organic forms. His vision evolves in watercolor sketches rendered in brou de noix, a dark pigment made from walnut shells. When he attacks a tree with his chainsaw, this first violent acts serves to inaugurate the wood into its next incarnation as sculpture. The vigorous physicality of the process informs the muscular quality and enormous internal energy of his shapes. Regardless of scale, every tense, curved piece is immense in terms of power. All the qualities of the wood are carefully considered and highlighted: suppleness, thickness, grain, texture and color. Stripped of bark and polished, the soft planes display wear and erosion, the patina of time. Occasionally Zigor burns the surfaces with a blowtorch or treats them with wax. He also has a great appreciation for the material in its raw state, marked only by the axe, the chainsaw and his other working implements.
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The brou de noix stain used in the watercolor drawings is a pigment made from the shell of a walnut. His particular treatment of wood underscores a simple yet complex poetry that is wrought with his tools. The artist works metal in much the same way, approaching each piece individually to expose its unique character. Zigor has said that his art is not a militant act, yet it emerges from and belongs to the Basque Country where he lives and works—and wood is an apt symbol of cultural roots. It is imbued with the spirit of the place from which it hails, and with the spirit of the artist who gives new expression to a revered legacy of highly distinctive Basque sculpture, both modern and ancestral. Zigor explores the mountains, forests and beaches of his country, internalizing the balance, proportion and contours of his natural surroundings. They are ref lected and transformed through his creative and spontaneous juxtapositions into grand and compelling gestures, visceral expressions destined to fundamentally change the world.
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L
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06
H : 19.75” W : 13.75”
MARRAZKI HAUNDIA II ZIG DR 11B WATERCOLOR
07
H : 19.75” W : 13.75”
2011
2013
SCULPTURE PAGE 22
Signed: Akixo
ETXEA ZIG DR 07 WATERCOLOR
SCULPTURE PAGE 53
Marked: Extea Signed: Akixo
08
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
GIZON ZIG DR 04 WATERCOLOR
09
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
2011
2011
SCULPTURE PAGE 39
Marked: Gizon Signed: Akixo
PELOTARI ZIG DR 08 WATERCOLOR
SCULPTURE PAGE 55
Marked: Pelotari Signed: Akixo
10
H : 8.25” W : 11.63”
TXORIA ZIG DR 02 WATERCOLOR
11
H : 8.25” W : 11.63”
2011
2011
SCULPTURE PAGE 36
Signed: Akixo
HEGA ZIG DR 10 WATERCOLOR
SCULPTURE PAGE 41
Marked: Hega Signed: Akixo
12
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
UNTITLED ZIG DR 01 WATERCOLOR
13
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
BESARKADA ZIG DR 09 WATERCOLOR
2011
2011
SIGNED: AKIXO
SIGNED: AKIXO MARKED: BESARKADA
14
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
OLERKI ZIG DR 06 WATERCOLOR
15
H : 11.63” W : 8.25”
HOSTO ZIG DR 03 WATERCOLOR
2011
2011
Signed: Akixo
Marked: Lore Apurtura (The torn flower) Signed: Akixo
16
17
18
S
C
U
L
P
T
U
R
E
20
21
H : 28” W : 27” D : 12.5”
ZUHAITZ IV ZIG 20 PLANE 1996
Unique Signed: Akixo
22
H : 14.75” W : 14” D : 14”
M ARR AZKI HAUNDIA II ZIG 12 OAK 2009
Unique Signed: Akixo
23
24
25
H : 40” W : 14.25” D : 13”
KERNE IV ZIG 17 SYCA MORE 1987
Unique Signed: Akixo
26
27
H : 23.75” W : 18.25” D : 12”
MARRAZKI HAUNDIA I ZIG 18 PLANE
H : 22.5” W : 19.25” D : 5.5”
TXORI III ZIG 14 OAK AND SYCA MORE
BASE: W : 15.75” D : 11.75”
2007
BASE: W : 6” D : 5.25”
1998
Unique Signed: Akixo
Unique Signed: Akixo
28
29
H : 42” W : 39” D : 21”
EGUZKILORE I ZIG 16 CHESTNUT 1992
Unique Signed: Akixo
30
H : 25” W : 21.5” D : 13”
HODEI I ZIG 21 CYPRUS
31
H : 17.75” W : 15.75” D : 7.25”
BIKOTE II ZIG 25 PLANE
1993
1996
Unique Signed: Akixo
Unique Signed: Akixo
32
H : 21.5” W : 18.5” D : 8”
BIKOTE III ZIG 19 PLANE
33
H : 21.5” W : 18.5” D : 8”
BIKOTE III ZIG 19A PATINATED BRONZE
1996
1996
Unique Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 1/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
34
H : 22.25” W : 9” D : 9”
HOSTO V ZIG 07 OAK
35
H : 22.25” W : 9” D : 9”
HOSTO V ZIG 07A PATINATED BRONZE
1990
1990
Unique Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 1/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
36
H : 17” W : 18.5” D : 7.5” BASE: W : 5.5” D : 5.75”
TXORIA II ZIG 11 PATINATED BRONZE 1990
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 3/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
37
H : 18” W : 19.75” D : 12.5”
HAIZEA V ZIG 13 PATINATED BRONZE
BASE: W : 5.75” D : 5.5”
1998
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 1/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
38
39
H : 10” W : 7.25” D : 4.25”
DANTZA IV ZIG 10 PATINATED BRONZE
H : 14” W : 8.5” D : 7.5”
BASE: W : 6” D : 4.25”
1995
BASE: W : 7.5” D : 8.75”
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 5/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
GIZON V ZIG 22 PATINATED BRONZE 2008
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 3/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
40
41
H : 8.25” W : 5.5” D : 4.5”
TXORIAK ZIG 08 PATINATED BRONZE
H : 8” W : 8.5” D : 3”
HEGA VII ZIG 06 PATINATED BRONZE
BASE: W : 3.25” D : 4”
2001
BASE: W : 4” D : 3.25”
2008
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 3/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 4/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
42
H : 10” W : 7.5” D : 3.5”
OLERKI XVI ZIG 09 PATINATED BRONZE
43
H : 6” W : 6.5” D : 7.5”
2011
TARTE I ZIG 15 PATINATED BRONZE 2011
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 1/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 2/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
44
H : 8.25” W : 9.5” D : 8.75”
45
H : 14.25” W : 16.5” D : 15.5”
2008
DANTZA III ZIG 23 PATINATED BRONZE 1999
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 2/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 1/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
URKULU ZIG 01 PATINATED BRONZE
46
H : 6.25” W : 7.5” D : 3”
OLERKI VII ZIG 04A PATINATED BRONZE
47
H : 6” W : 7” D : 5”
2002
OLERKI VI ZIG 27 PATINATED BRONZE 2002
Limited Edition of 8 Marked: 7/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 2/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
48
49
H : 8.5” W : 7” D : 5”
OLERKI III ZIG 03A PATINATED BRONZE 2002
Limited edition of 8 Marked: E/A 1/4 E/A refers to ”Epreuve d’artiste / Artist’s proof” Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
50
H : 6” W : 6” D : 6”
51
TOP
BOTTOM
IBAIADAR ZIG 05A STEEL
IBAIADAR ZIG 05B STEEL
2012
2012
Unique Signed: Akixo
H : 12” W : 6” D : 6”
IBAIADAR ZIG 05A & ZIG 05B STACKED STEEL 2012
Unique Signed: Akixo
52
H : 6” W : 5.75” D : 5”
IBAIADAR ZIG 29 PATINATED BRONZE
53
H : 12.25” W : 11” D : 6”
ETXEA ZIG O2 PATINATED BRONZE
2012
2008
Marked: E/A 1/4 E/A refers to ”Epreuve d’artiste / Artist’s proof” Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: E/A E/A refers to ”Epreuve d’artiste / Artist’s proof” Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
54
55
H : 22” W : 9” D : 7”
HOSTO IV ZIG 28 PATINATED BRONZE
BASE: W : 7.25” D : 7”
1990
1990
Marked: E/A 1/4 E/A refers to ”Epreuve d’artiste / Artist’s proof” Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
Limited edition of 8 Marked: 4/8 Bears foundry marking: Jaizkibel Signed: Akixo
H : 17.3” W : 7.5” D : 5.5”
PELOTARI ZIG 30 PATINATED BRONZE
M AISON GERARD 43 & 53 East Tenth St. New York NY 10003 T 212 674 7611 F 212 475 6314 maisongerard.com
Gerardus Widdershoven, Benoist F. Drut, and Zigor would like to express their gratitude to Jean-Bernard Dehoux of Galerie Hegoa, Saint-Jean de Luz. Gerardus Widdershoven and Benoist F. Drut of Maison Gerard extend sincere thanks to: Sabine Asselbergs Julia Hartshorn Diego Heredia Harrison Jackson Jean-François Jaussaud Dorothée Mathieux Winter Mendelson Lucy Wertheim Leroy Williams Introduction: Laura Silverman Photography credits: P 02: Zigor P 04, 16, 17, 18: Jean-François Jaussaud (luxproductions.com) P 20 - 55: Joshua Dalsimer Design: Mother Design (motherdesign.com)