New Drawings by Harold Coego

February 7 - 28, 2026

 

Opening reception:

February 7, 6-8 pm. Free & open to the public.

Artist Talk:

February 21 at 2pm. Free & open to the public.

​

Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm

​

 

Outsiders and Others presents New Drawings by Harold Coego, a focused exhibition of recent works on paper.

 

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1973, Coego began his professional life working as an archaeology assistant with the Office of the Historian of Havana, contributing to urban excavations of Spanish colonial architecture and archaeological research in caves associated with Cuba’s Indigenous populations. This early engagement with material history and excavation continues to inform his artistic approach.

 

​Coego later became involved with Teatro El Obstáculo, the experimental theatre collective directed by Víctor Varela, where he worked across set design, lighting, acting, and production. Alongside this work, he developed his painting practice and wrote film scripts, several of which he co-directed while serving as a guest writer at the International School of Film and Television in Cuba.

​​

Since relocating to Vancouver, Canada, in 2002, Coego has continued to develop a multidisciplinary practice encompassing painting, drawing, and collage. Harold’s work has been exhibited internationally.

​

The works in this exhibition comprise a new series of pencil drawings on paper that has been soaked in olive oil prior to drawing. This process alters the paper’s physical properties, turning it translucent, similar to vellum. Lines blur, graphite smudges, and the surface resists precision, creating a tension as the drawings are done with great precision.

​​

These drawings touch on contemporary concerns including technological acceleration, political systems, survival, and the persistence of the human spirit.