Joxe Alberdi (Burruntxali) - Museo en Azcoitia

Jo Alberdi, Basque sculptor and Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, has been honoured in his home town of Azcoitia with a museum of his work established in recognition of his lifetime as an artist.

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[MartinAlexander]

Joxe Alberdi, the Basque sculptor, died on Friday 18th January in Denia, Spain, at the age of 85.

Jo started working at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1947 and opened the St Martin's Sculpture School in 1948.

'Consummatum Est' was exhibited at the Royal Academy to critical acclaim in 1950 and he exhibited again at the RA in 1967, when he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

[MartinAlexander]

His work has been widely commissioned in Britain and abroad, and include the bulls in Birmingham's Bullring (1961), the fountain at Barclay's Bank Head Office in London (11m, cooper and nickel, 1963-67) and 'Alma Mater' at Exeter College, Oxford (3.2m, 9 tonnes Travertine marble, 1968).

[MartinAlexander]

Alberdi's work has been exhibited in Britain, Spain, France, Switzerland and the USA. His work is in the collections of King Juan Carlos of Spain and at the Vatican. In 2007 Jo was honoured by the Basque government and his home town of Azcoitia where a palace there was made into a permanent museum for the exhibition of his work.

[MartinAlexander]

Jo was hugely strong physically and confounded his doctors when the two weeks he had left to live lasted a further four months. He worked until the last months of 2007, finding new ways of realising the ideas that continued to come unabated even as his physical strength failed him. Jo's most recent series in wood was based on the life of Aguirre.

[MartinAlexander]

In his last years he developed new techniques in working with wax for casting in bronze, producing a series of startling and powerful sculptures, the last of which were cast only a couple of months before his death.

[magicalfairiesmoon]

Stunning sculpture pieces; thank you for posting.

[MarcodeAlberdi]

Hi,

This is Marco de Alberdi. Both Jo & Cynthia died in January last year. I can't work out who you are from your user name. Francesca is in the north of Spain, Julio is still in the US. If you want any info please let me know

[tamla63]

Thanks for posting this...shame I've only just found it as I've been trying to find info on the Alberdi's the last few years as they were my God parents.I lost touch many many years ago due to the behaviour of my (late) estranged father but have been reminded of them every morning since moving to my house 11 years ago as I've had a little chair that Joe made for me by my bed.If anyone has contact info for the family then please pass on my respects.I'm hoping to visit the museum later this year.

[grandadfreddie]

So sorry to hear such sad news, Our thoughts are with Cynthia and family.

A great man with an even greater talent,

Bye Joxe.