Narrative Biography
For over 60 years, Eva Montville has been sculpting and exhibiting her work throughout the United States and the Middle East. She grew up in Egypt, later living in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Eventually, Eva was drawn to the deserts of Southern California, and after many visits to Joshua Tree became a permanent resident in 2004.
Eva first studied sculpture at Columbia University, and later with New York sculptor Donald Mavros. In 1965, while living in Baghdad, she learned wood carving with renowned Iraqi sculptor, Mohammed Ghani, later continuing to explore sculpture in other mediums at the American University at Beirut.
Her artistic expression is rooted in her love of nature, especially the desert environment.
“I feel an inherent connection with the Earth. The desert wilderness is where I feel most deeply connected. Its natural spaces and land forms have always inspired my work."
Eva’s creative process is also a personal attempt to reconcile the dichotomy of Nature’s and human creation. Her sculptures embody a paradox, one of intensely worked and highly finished forms that have the appearance of being shaped by Nature, worn by wind and water.
Eva first studied sculpture at Columbia University, and later with New York sculptor Donald Mavros. In 1965, while living in Baghdad, she learned wood carving with renowned Iraqi sculptor, Mohammed Ghani, later continuing to explore sculpture in other mediums at the American University at Beirut.
Her artistic expression is rooted in her love of nature, especially the desert environment.
“I feel an inherent connection with the Earth. The desert wilderness is where I feel most deeply connected. Its natural spaces and land forms have always inspired my work."
Eva’s creative process is also a personal attempt to reconcile the dichotomy of Nature’s and human creation. Her sculptures embody a paradox, one of intensely worked and highly finished forms that have the appearance of being shaped by Nature, worn by wind and water.
This intimate relationship with the natural world has made Eva very attuned to the changes happening to the ecosystems of the Earth. “I am experiencing a profound grief about the consequences of human interference with the living systems of Earth. It has become essential for me to express this in my work.”
For the past 10 years she has been creating large installations expressing her response to the devastation of living systems on the planet. Part of this effort was the creation of an installation “Gaia’s Grief Transforming”, exhibited during the 2014 Highway 62 Open Studio Tours. Then in 2017, confronted by reports of accelerated and irreversible global warming, she started working on her second large installation, “The Heart Locker”, first shown during the 2019 Highway 62 Open Studio Tours. Her third installation, “Heart Locker Regenerating” was the result of “…an evolving process I have been going through, mentally/ emotionally/ spiritually, during a time dominated by a pandemic, political upheaval, and the relentless advance of climate change." The Heart Locker was transformed and moved into a converted horse trailer which could then be shown anywhere it could be parked.
For the past 10 years she has been creating large installations expressing her response to the devastation of living systems on the planet. Part of this effort was the creation of an installation “Gaia’s Grief Transforming”, exhibited during the 2014 Highway 62 Open Studio Tours. Then in 2017, confronted by reports of accelerated and irreversible global warming, she started working on her second large installation, “The Heart Locker”, first shown during the 2019 Highway 62 Open Studio Tours. Her third installation, “Heart Locker Regenerating” was the result of “…an evolving process I have been going through, mentally/ emotionally/ spiritually, during a time dominated by a pandemic, political upheaval, and the relentless advance of climate change." The Heart Locker was transformed and moved into a converted horse trailer which could then be shown anywhere it could be parked.