Eva

Eva Riquelme Jimenez  was born in Ibiza (Spain) in 1969.
From early childhood she showed great interest in painting, sculpture and music: disciplines that she developed during her adolescence. After some years dedicated to a professional singing career in Spain, where she produced various successful CDs, she decided to dedicate her efforts totally to what she considers her real vocation, sculpture, where in just a few years she began to receive wide recognition. Already in 1994 she was asked to create a monument “For the Blue Helmets” for the UN humanitarian mission in Bosnia. The work is now on permanent exhibition in Cerro Muriano (Còrdoba).

In ’96 she finished her studies at the “Escuela de Restauracìon de la Mercè” (Còrdoba) where she worked at the restoration of the Casa Palacio’s famous baroque altar.
The following year she began to teach sculpture studies in the same school.
From that moment on begins an unarrestable production of statues, busts and reliefs  for important public and private organizations, companies and individuals.

Many of her products were  reproduce in various materials and dimensions (miniatures, monuments, coins, trophies, busts and statues). She is very well known in Europe and is becoming a familiar name also in North America. Her unique  ability to express great strength and realism in her commissioned subjects guarantees proper level of artistic component in all her undertakings. She specialized in interpreting various facial expressions in her statuary in a very contemporary way. She was always able to capture in extremely unique ways movement and features of its subjects. Thanks to these outstanding qualities, in 2001 she became internationally known when asked to immortalize Pope John Paul II in a bronze statue 5,5 meters high (over 18’) . Her original sketch and eventually the small model was selected. She won the competition amongst many famous and older sculptors thanks to her ability to capture,  in a absolutely best way,  the likeness of the Holy Father.

In June 2002, Eva had the honor of being received by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II while presenting to him her bronze model of the final statue. The model is now on exhibition in the Vatican (in Sala Clementina).
The 18’ statue was inaugurated in July in Toronto (Canada) during the World Youth Day celebrations, where it is now on permanent display in front of the church the Pope personally requested to be erected.
Eva then created another 19’ Pope for Chicago church. After that she has done many religious statues including Madonna of Lavang for Seattle , WA. and is currently working on a 15’ statue of Welcome Christ for Diocese of Hamilton in Canada.

Eva Riquelme lives and works between Milan (Italy)  and Córdoba (Spain).