Eva Stubbs

Eva Stubbs was a Hungarian-born Canadian sculptor and educator known for her deeply expressive figurative works. Born in Budapest, she immigrated to Canada in 1944 as a wartime Jewish refugee, settling in Winnipeg. Her early life was marked by upheaval, having experienced the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the disruptions of war. After recovering from tuberculosis in her twenties, she pursued formal art training at the University of Manitoba, earning her Fine Arts diploma in 1957.

Stubbs worked primarily in sculpture, using wood, bronze, and clay to explore themes of history, identity, and the human condition. Her style drew inspiration from ancient artifacts, often incorporating rough, incised textures to evoke a sense of time and endurance. Feminist themes and societal commentary were integral to her work, with pieces like Silent Voices (1982–83) and Memories for the Future (1987) addressing issues of gender, oppression, and resilience. Her sculptures, though monumental in form, often conveyed a quiet fragility, emphasizing the tension between strength and vulnerability.

Beyond her artistic practice, Stubbs was a dedicated teacher and mentor. She taught at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Lakehead University and played a crucial role in Winnipeg’s arts community as a founding member of SITE Gallery. She was also a mentor in the advisory program for Mentoring Artists for Women's Art (MAWA), supporting the next generation of female artists. Recognized for her contributions, she was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1995.

Stubbs’ public commissions included a series of bronze panels for the Manitoba Law Courts and several bronze busts for the Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame, honoring figures such as author Carol Shields and theatre director John Hirsch. Her work was exhibited nationally and internationally, including a significant retrospective at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2010. In 1993, she exhibited in Hungary, where she donated Memories for the Future to the Vasarely Museum in Budapest.

Stubbs remained active in the arts well into her later years, advocating for artistic expression and the role of sculpture in public spaces. She passed away in Winnipeg in 2017 at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy of thought-provoking work that continues to inspire.