The Courage to Say ‘Sige!’
- Community
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Harold Khan’s journey through art and diaspora
Story and Photos by Marie Khan
When we first arrived in Vienna, life felt like a series of adjustments—new language, new routines, and the kind of cold that crept into your bones. But what struck me most was how quietly Harold carried it all. Armed with his degree in Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas and years of creative experience back home, he found himself behind a McDonald’s counter, smiling at customers while tucking his dreams away for the time being. It was a far cry from the colorful world of comics and illustrations he loved growing up.
Watching Harold during those early years was both humbling and heartbreaking. He never complained—not once. He worked hard, saved, and gave everything he had to help us build a new life in Vienna. But I knew he missed his art. I saw it in the way he’d pause over an ad, admire street graffiti, linger over paintings in museums we visited or how his eyes lit up when talking about old comics and animated shows. His creativity was always there, just waiting for the right time and space to resurface.
That turning point came quietly—a few sketches here, a watercolor test there, some digital character designs on Sunday afternoons. Before long, he was back to illustrating and coloring more seriously, staying up late, surrounded by brushes, canvases, and colors. I would often sit nearby, sipping tea and writing while he painted. It felt like I was watching him come back to life.
Another beautiful surprise was how our three children’s own artistic inclinations inspired him even further. Seeing them draw, build, and create sparked something deeper in Harold. He naturally began teaching them—how to shade a face, mix colors, and approach creativity with curiosity and joy. He would join us during our art projects at home or bring them to their art lessons. In those shared moments—whether painting beside them or offering quiet guidance—he wasn’t just passing on skills; he was reconnecting with a part of himself he had long set aside. In nurturing their creativity, he began to nurture his own.
Sometime later, Harold's quiet return to art led to a meaningful collaboration with his friend Martin Binder Blumenthal and the Jugendkoordination of the SPÖ (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs)—Austria’s Social Democratic Party, known for its advocacy of social justice, equality, and cultural support. The Jugendkoordination, the party’s youth coordination arm, focuses on engaging young people through education, civic involvement, and creative expression.
Under the leadership of Peko Baxant, Harold was commissioned to illustrate Mister X, a noir-style comic depicting the political scene at that time. The project allowed Harold to reconnect with his passion for storytelling through visuals—echoing his college days illustrating for UST’s The Varsitarian—but now doing so as a published artist in Vienna and embraced by a new community. It was a pivotal moment, marking his first public artistic project in his new home and reminding him that his creative voice still had a place in the world.
Eventually, Harold left behind the fast-paced world of food service to fully pursue the creative career he had always dreamed of. With his Fine Arts background and years of personal exploration, he quickly proved himself, steadily taking on larger projects. Today, Harold is an established senior graphic artist—a role that not only recognizes his talents but finally allows him to fully express the creativity he had quietly carried with him all along.
Harold’s growth as an artist was shaped not just by time or tools, but by the people who believed in him. His first opportunities to exhibit came through Filipino Festival KUBÖ/Kultur Bayanihan Österreich’s Arlene Castaneda and FVAA/Filipino Visual Artists in Austria’s Gerry de Guzman, who gave him the chance to showcase his work publicly in Vienna. Encouraged by visual artist Norlie Meimban, who saw his potential and pushed him to take more creative risks by using other media, Harold continued to gain confidence. With the support of writer and friend Dexter Matilla—who had first introduced him to Meimban and later organized his first solo exhibition titled “die Königinnen”—he began to carve out his own place in both the Vienna and Manila art scenes.
Building on this momentum, Harold later co-founded sige!, a growing network dedicated to uplifting Filipino artists in Austria, with fellow creatives Charmaine Taus and Gerard Rabara. Through sige!, he found more than just collaborators; he found a family—people who understood what it meant to move between cultures, to dream across borders, and to create community through art.
Since its founding, sige! hosted exhibitions, workshops, discussions, and events that highlight Filipino talent. Through partnerships with local organizations and art spaces, sige! has given Filipino artists a platform to share their work, tell their stories, and connect with broader audiences. It has fostered collaboration across different disciplines—visual arts, music, writing, and culinary arts—creating spaces where creativity and cultural identity are celebrated side by side. More than just promoting individual success, sige! continues to build a supportive community that empowers Filipino artists to keep going, to be visible, and to proudly claim their spot in Europe’s artistic landscape.
To me, Harold’s journey is not just about art. It’s about starting over with courage. It’s about believing that it’s never too late to return to your passion. And it’s about the power of community—of finding others who say “sige!” when the road ahead looks unclear.
Image (left to right): (1) NEON RAINFALL, 21X29CM Watercolor on Paper — Umbrellas bloom like flowers in the Tokyo rain, as shoppers weave through neon-lit streets and bustling storefronts—where style never stops, rain or shine; (2) HE. EVANGELINA LOURDES ARROYO-BERNAS, 21x29cm Pencil sketch on Bristol paper — A pencil sketch of H.E. Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas, gifted at the recent"Tara Let’s" Filipino art exhibit in March 2025.
Behind the scenes, I’ve simply tried to hold space for him—to believe in the version of him that maybe even he had forgotten for a while. As he often reminds me on days when writing feels heavy, "You don't always find your art again—sometimes it finds you, quietly, when you’re ready." I've started to believe that too, and it keeps me going.
I know I’m not alone in believing in him. My parents-in-law, Lilia and Heinz, have always been among his biggest supporters, proudly displaying his finished illustrations in their home, quietly proud of every new milestone he reaches. Over time, our circle has expanded too—friends, fellow artists, and even art enthusiasts who discover his work and see something of themselves in it. With every exhibition, collaboration, and project, that small community of encouragement grows, reminding Harold—and me—that his journey is no longer just his own, but something bigger he's building with others.
Today, Harold is an artist whose work reflects the complexity of his story—navigating life through color, memory, and movement. But to me, he’s still the man I met years ago with a sketchbook in one hand and a dream in the other.
And every time he picks up a brush, I’m reminded: this is just the beginning.
About the Author
Marie Khan is a writer and photographer with a deep passion for travel, the arts, and family life. Through her blogs — gmirage.com, vienna101.com, ourcitytravels.com, and techiekids.info, among others — she shares thoughtful stories and imagery that capture both the charm of everyday moments and the wonder of far away places. Whether strolling through the streets of Vienna, sharing parenting insights, or chronicling family trips, Marie’s work reflects a warm, personal perspective that her readers can relate to.
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