Legendary actress Audrey Hepburn gets a garden and statue in Ixelles

A new garden named after legendary Audrey Hepburn was inaugurated in Ixelles featuring a statue of the famed actress. Hepburn was born in Brussels 93 years ago on May 4, 1929. She has spent parts of her childhood in Belgium in her family home on Rue Keyenveld in the municipality of Ixelles / Elsene. The commune has now payed a tribute to the actress and the humanitarian by inaugurating her bust in a park at the corner of Rue de l’Arbre Bénit and Rue Keyenveld, located very close to her family home.

The bust is the work of a Dutch sculptor Kees Verkade. The son of Audrey Hepburn, Sean Hepburn-Ferrer gifted this artwork to Ixelles on the occasion of 93 years since the actress’ birth. During the opening ceremony the mayor of Ixelles thanked to colleagues and partners who brought this project to life, connecting modern-day Ixelles with its past.

During World War II, Audrey Hepburn took part in the Dutch resistance, including by raising funds through shows. While she was originally dedicated to dancing, before joining the theater in the late 1940s, the success of the play Gigi (1951) on Broadway opened the doors to the cinema for her. At 24, she receives the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in William Wyler’s “Roman Holiday”. She was then nominated four more times during her fruitful career. After 1967, she ended her film career and focused on humanitarian aid for children, becoming a UNICEF ambassador.