The Life and Artistic Journey of Chema Cobo

Born in Tarifa, Spain, Chema Cobo was a painter who lived a life spanning various international cities, including Sevilla, Ronda, Cádiz, Madrid, New York, Chicago, Brussels, Rome, and Alhaurín el Grande. He studied Philosophy at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid between 1970 and 1974. As an artist, he was a member of the Nueva figuración madrileña, a group of artists characterized as acid and ironic. His first individual exhibition took place in 1974 at the Galería Buades in Madrid.

Throughout the 1980s, Cobo's presence in the international art scene grew significantly. He served as a resident artist at P.S.1 in New York and participated in the XVI Bienal de Sao Paulo at the Salon de los 16 in the Museo de Arte contemporáneo de Madrid. His work was featured in the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh and the exhibition Otras Figuraciones in Madrid. His reach extended to the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, and he exhibited in various cities including Seattle, Boston, Milan, Rome, Bern, and Nagoya, Japan.

Exhibitions and Recognition

In the 1990s, Cobo's career included exhibitions in Tokyo and various locations across the United States and Spain. During this period, he served as a visiting professor at the NY Art School in New York, Northwestern University in Chicago, and the School of Art of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1994, he was awarded the Premio Andalucía de Artes Plásticas and published a book of aphorisms titled Amnesia. His 1998 exhibition, El Laberinto de la Brújula, at the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in Sevilla showcased works from all periods of his career, including previously unexhibited pieces.

In the 21st century, Cobo's work was showcased in numerous exhibitions, including Salta a la Vista in Cádiz, which covered his work on paper from 1974 to 2000. He received the Premio de Pintura Francisco de Goya from the Villa de Madrid in 2008 following his exhibition Eclipse. His recent works were featured in the 2009-2010 exhibition Out of Frame at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga. His paintings are held in prestigious collections, such as: