As part of the Guest Work programme organised in collaboration with the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, the Itsasmuseum has presented the painting Ondarroa by artist Iñaki García Ergüin (Bilbao, 1934), which depicts a highly expressive view of the houses in the port of this coastal town.

Following its recent donation to the museum in 2024, the piece is now on display to the public for the first time at Itsasmuseum. It has been selected as a Guest Work with the aim of highlighting the importance of Bizkaia’s seaports, such as Ondarroa, Bermeo and Lekeitio, which, beyond Bilbao, have been and continue to be fundamental pillars of the region’s identity and coastal economy, as reflected in the various pieces in the permanent exhibition, where it will be included. Among these enclaves, Ondarroa stands out as an essential reference point in the iconography of Basque painting, both for its deep-rooted seafaring tradition and for the inspiration it has provided to numerous artists over time.

Ondarroa (1974)

García Ergüin’s connection to the sea, present since the beginning of his painting career, reached one of its most significant moments with the exhibition García Ergüin: Fishing Ports: Bermeo and Ondarroa, held in Bilbao in 1974.

Ondarroa belongs to this series, a vibrant composition depicting the houses in the harbour of this fishing village. The human presence is suggested by three moored boats and clothes hanging out to dry, whose reflections in the water enrich the colour palette and reinforce the expressiveness of the composition.

 

Ondarroa, 1974
Oil on canvas. 129.7 x 161.5 cm
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
Donated by Roberto Cengotitabengoa, 2024

Iñaki García Ergüin

A key figure in the renewal of Basque art in the 1960s.

His work is characterised by an expressive use of colour and constant experimentation with techniques, textures and materials. The themes of his work range from landscapes, especially views of Toledo and Bilbao, to New Orleans jazz, Basque rural sports and, most notably, fishing ports. His work also includes opera sets and commissioned murals, such as those created for Athletic Club and the churches of San Vicente and San Antón in Bilbao.