Born 1961 in Cape Town, South Africa
Jonathan attended the Frank Joubert Art Centre for 5 years and in 1985 graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art, majoring in printmaking and drawing, from the Ruth Prowse School of Art. He spent two years living and working in Scotland, working at Peacock Printmaking Studio and Cyrenian Art Centre, in Aberdeen, Scotland. He returned to South Africa in 1988 and set up Hard Ground Printmakers Workshop, an independant printmaking studio.
He was the Chairperson of SAA Arts, Western Cape in 1991 and has been greatly involved in curating exhibitions such as the exhibition of Printmaking, University of Stellenbosch Art Gallery; an exhibition of Relief Prints – S.A. in Black and White, for the British Council and in 1994 curated an exhibition of S. A. Printmaking for the Brighton Festival, U.K. He has organised and run many educational printmaking workshops in Cape Town, and has participated in the UCT Summer School programme. He has held several solo exhibitions of his works and has participated in a number of group exhibitions, both locally and abroad.
Jonathan Comerford has participated in curated Print Biennales and international exhibitions such as:
Third International Print Biennial, R.O. China (1987),
Critical Impressions, Florida State University, USA,
International Graphic Exposition, Nice, France (awarded a Diplome D’Honneur),
Deuxieme Triennale Mondiale d’Estampes, France and an
Exhibition of South African Art, Barbara Gillman Gallery, Miami.
His work is represented in major Public and Corporate Collections in South Africa, and in International Collections such as:
Peacock Printmakers’ Print Collection,
Scotland and the Seattle Print Museum, USA.
He was the 1994 recipient of the prestigious, Volkskas Atelier Award, and spent six months working at the Cite International des Arts, in Paris.
In addition, he has initiated exchange programmes with other International Printworkshops, and has an ongoing exchange programme with the Grafische Werkstatt im Traklhaus, Salzburg, Austria.
Jonathan Comerford has been involved in a number of portfolio projects dealing with Human Rights and Aids issues. He was part of the Aids portfolio in 1999 called `Paper prayers`. He published a portfolio of silkscreens with 14 local artists in Cape Town to highlight Aids awareness amongst professional artists.
