Malaga, (EFE)
Born in Tarifa in 1952, Chema Cobo was a man of the world who lived in cities such as Cádiz, Seville, Madrid, New York, Chicago and Brussels, although at the end of the 90s he settled in Alhaurín el Grande, where he had his home-studio. .
Cobo, who studied Philosophy at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), is considered a fundamental painter for understanding the history of contemporary Spanish art, thanks to an extensive body of work with which he has exhibited in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art ( MoMA) in New York or the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
With an acid and ironic look, in the beginning he was related to the artistic group of the New Madrid Figuration, which opened new paths during the Transition, and his first individual exhibition was held in 1974 at the Buades Gallery in Madrid.
Starting in the 1980s, he connected with international movements such as neo-expressionism and the trans-avant-garde and exhibited individually and collectively in countries such as the United States or Japan. His work evolved in subsequent decades, with his prolific and lively work reaching major museums around the world.
A great of Andalusian contemporary art
Cobo’s work, which in 1994 received the Andalucía de Artes Plásticas Award, is currently part of museums and public collections such as the CAAC Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in Seville, the Los Bragales Collection in Santander, the Kunstmuseum in Bern (Switzerland), The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia or the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
The cultural and artistic world has mourned the death of “a great Andalusian contemporary art” and one of the Spanish artists with the most international projection.
The Councilor for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Junta, Arturo Bernal, recalled that Cobo “always provided a different vision, making his status as a citizen of the world the best of his virtues and the best gift for those of us who enjoy his works” .
The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center (CAAC) has also mourned the death of “an exceptional artist” whose exhibition “El laberinto de la brújula” was the first to be held at the La Cartuja headquarters. The exhibition included works from all periods of his work and paintings never exhibited to date in Spain.
Condolences throughout Spain
Through Twitter, the Councilor for Culture of Malaga, Noelia Losada, has indicated that Cobo was “very loved” in the city, that it will miss “his works, his aphorisms, his intelligent humor and his so free character”, and the mayor of Seville, Antonio Muñoz, has shown his “admiration and affection for the international figure” of this artist, “heritage of new avant-gardes and a neighbor and friend” of the Seville capital.
“My hug to your loved ones and my commitment to continue ensuring that your art continues to be present in our lives,” said Muñoz.
The Conde Duque Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid has added its condolences, highlighting that “his unmistakable style, his use of color and his works full of humor will always be a symbol of his important contribution to contemporary Spanish art.” EFE