Jonathan Hirschfeld

Jonathan Hirschfeld
יונתן הירשפלד
Jonathan Hirschfeld
Born1979 (age 46–47)
Jerusalem, Israel
EducationBezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Tel Aviv University
Known forPainting, lecturing, curating, writing
MovementIsraeli art
AwardsMinistry of Culture and Sports Prize

Jonathan Hirschfeld (Hebrew: יונתן הירשפלד; born 1979) is an Israeli artist, lecturer, educator, curator, and an essayist. He is an art columnist for Haaretz newspaper since 2001. Presented solo exhibitions at Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art, Raw Art Gallery, Jerusalem Artists House, and Givon Gallery. Participated in group exhibitions at the Jerusalem Print Workshop, Sommer Contemporary Art, Haifa Museum of Art, Mishkan Museum of Art, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, Bible Lands Museum, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. His work is in the collection of the Israel Museum.

Biography

Jonathan Hirschfeld was born and raised in Jerusalem. He graduated from the Charles E. Smith Jerusalem High School for the Arts in 1993. In 2004, he earned a BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and a teaching diploma from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He completed an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Tel Aviv University in 2011. In 2008, Jonathan Hirschfeld and Yakir Segev established Hanina Gallery. In 2009, the gallery became a cooperative. By 2026, it had hosted over one hundred exhibitions.

He published a series of articles in which he argued that postmodern thought from the school of Derrida, Foucault, Baudrillard, and Deleuze enjoys total hegemony in the Israeli art world, and he attempted to point out the failures and damages of this philosophy.

In 2013, he painted the series of paintings "On the Land," which was exhibited at Mishkenot Sha'ananim. In this series, he referenced the "Tzova" paintings of Joseph Zaritsky and Larry Abramson and the ethical and aesthetic discussion arising from the encounter between the three generations of artists. In 2016, this series of paintings was exhibited as part of the exhibition "A New Horizon for New Horizons", Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod. In 2014, Hirschfeld presented the solo exhibition "Lust" at the "Zadik" Gallery in Jaffa-Tel Aviv and published a poetry book of the same name in collaboration with Aharon Shabtai.

In 2016, he won the Ministry of Culture and Sports Prize for Encouraging Creativity in the Plastic Arts.

In 2021, he published his book "To Know Painting" through Resling Publishing. The book compiles columns he published from 2013 to 2020 in the "Picture" section of the "Culture and Literature" supplement of Haaretz. He published songs in Mitaam - Journal for literature and radical thinking, essays in Odyssey - A journey between ideas, Alaxon, Maala - Journal for criticism, and art criticism in Erev-Rav. The Gordon Gallery published two books containing essays on the gallery's artists, in 2021 and 2026, with Hirschfeld authoring most of the texts.

Presents the art segment on the radio program "Three Who Know," broadcast on the Kan Tarbut station.

He taught at the Gilo High School, Jerusalem; Charles A. Smith High School for the Arts, Jerusalem; High School of the Arts, Tel Aviv, Muses; Ironi Alef High School; The Atelier, Tel Aviv,; The Kibbutz Artists' Workshop; the Institute for Israeli Art; and at the Eretz Israel Museum.

Gideon Ofrat's essay analyzes Jonathan Hirschfeld's art as a rejection of local traditions of the Want of Matter, in favor of European aesthetics, myths, and Christian motifs. It highlights a thematic duality where baroque decorations and classical imagery are juxtaposed with violence and decay to explore the link between extreme beauty and historical evil. Hirschfeld utilizes these frameworks, along with references to his family history and military traumas, as an allegory connecting European fascist legacies to contemporary local violence.

Selected solo exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

Curator

Collections

Books and catalogues

References

  1. ↑ about. artists' site.
  2. ↑ Jonathan Hirschfeld. Information Center for Israeli Art. Israel Museum.
  3. ↑ David (Duchi) Cohen (January 23, 2026). The Space Research Department: Hanina Gallery. Erev Rav.
  4. ↑ (September 28, 2013). The catastrophic damages of postmodern thought. Haaretz; (October 4, 2013). What will we gain by adopting Foucault's position?. Haaretz; (October 11, 2013). The foolish gibberish of Foucault. Haaretz; (May 14, 2014). The ultimate victim of postmodern art criticism. Haaretz; (October 24, 2012). Against Groys. Erev Rav.
  5. ↑ Limor Alpern Zered (November 2016). "In the Name of the Landscape: "Tzova" in the Work of Joseph Zaritsky, Larry Abramson, and Yonatan Hirschfeld". Research Thesis: Master of Arts, Haifa University.
  6. ↑ Rachel Peretz (December 4, 2014). Jonathan Hirschfeld and Aaron Shabtai, "Lust", Zadik Gallery, in the column "Not Just Cheap Wine". Erev Rav.
  7. ↑ Ministry of Culture and Sports Prize. Hebrew Wikipedia Entry.
  8. ↑ The winners of the Ministry of Culture and Sports Prizes in the field of Plastic Arts for 2016 have been announced. Ministry of Culture and Sport (Israel).
  9. ↑ Resling Publishing. Hebrew Wikipedia Entry.
  10. ↑ Ofir Hovav (December 6, 2021). Jonathan Hirschfeld: "Art in Israel lags behind popular culture and pornography." Haaretz.
  11. ↑ (September 2007) Jonthan Hirschfeld, 11 songs. Mitaam - Journal for literature and radical thinking (edited by Yitzhak Laor), vol. 11. p. 63-68.
  12. ↑ (April 2010). The lizard's bite. Odyssey No. 7. p. 32-41. (July 2010). Truth in art: Black the crazy dog. Odyssey No. 8. p. 24-27. (a journal published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Teva Pharmaceuticals).
  13. ↑ (November 30, 2015). Love is not enough.
  14. ↑ Lamb of God.
  15. ↑ articles by Hirschfeld. Erev-Rav.
  16. ↑ 2021, Amon Yariv (editor) Gordon Gallery, Israeli Contemporary Art, 429 pages; 2026, Amon Yariv (editor) Gordon Gallery, Israeli Contemporary Art, 433 pages.
  17. ↑ Hirschfeld in Kan Tarbut. Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
  18. ↑ Bio. The Atelier Tel Aviv.
  19. ↑ Hagit Peleg-Rotem (November 16, 2008). Tami Katz-Freiman will teach a curatorial course at The Kibbutz Artists' Workshop. Globes.
  20. ↑ Faculty. Institute for Israeli Art.
  21. ↑ lecturer page.
  22. ↑ Jonathan Hirschfeld: Lament of the Palaces, on the Ruins of the Altar. Israel Museum.
  23. ↑ Molech. Tel Aviv Museum Library.
  24. ↑ Liam Eckstein (June 27, 2006). Aurochs. Haaretz.
  25. ↑ Ellie Armon Azoulay and Yuval Saar (December 3, 2009). Pirate houses in Tel Aviv, Israel in the Golden Gate. Haaretz.
  26. ↑ He Who Wanted to be God. Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art.
  27. ↑ Smadar Sheffi (March 10, 2012). Behind the Shell. Haaretz.
  28. ↑ Ouzi Zur (March 2, 2012). Ruins of myths and debris. Haaretz.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Jonathan Hirschfelds' exhibitions. Information Center for Israeli Art. Israel Museum.
  30. ↑ Ouzi Zur (January 31, 2014). The Chandelier at the Base of Israeli Modernism. Haaretz.
  31. ↑ (April 2, 2015). Jewish Rococo in Brooklyn – An Interview with Jonathan Hirschfeld
  32. ↑ Smadar Sheffi (November 16, 2016). Jonathan Hirschfeld: Skin for Skin | A Preview of the Installation "Property and Fetish" at the Bialik House.
  33. ↑ Ouzi Zur (November 13, 2018). Closing One Eye, Black Box: A visit to Jonathan Hirschfeld's exhibition, "Broken Wells Broken Wells". Haaretz.
  34. ↑ Yuval Saar (November 15, 2019). Jonathan Hirschfeld: Animaletters. Illustration Week 2018 in Portfolio, Kiryat HaMelacha and Holon, Porfolio.
  35. ↑ Michal Shachnai (January 13, 2019). "When a Whole Hirschfeld Is Dead". Erev Rav.
  36. ↑ (December 30, 2021). Jonathan Hirshcfeld at Shechter Gallery. The Joint List, Portfolio.
  37. ↑ The cop, The chambermaid, and the chimney sweeper. Tel Aviv Museum Library.
  38. ↑ (September 1, 2022). Jonathan Hirschfeld and Tsiki Eisenberg at the Hanina Gallery. The Joint List, Portfolio.
  39. ↑ (December 1, 2022). Jonathan Hirschfeld and Tamar Simon at Nulobaz Gallery. The Joint List, Portfolio.
  40. ↑ Yakov Z. Mayer (December 18, 2023). The Painter is a Swimmer. Erev Rav.
  41. ↑ Hagit Peleg Rotem (December 14, 2023). Jonathan Hirschfeld: We are all Joseph. We are all in the pit. We are all a blood-stained coat of many colors. Portfolio.
  42. 1 2 3 Jonathan Hirschfeld (October 18, 2013). Tumarkin at 80: An artist who is frightening to deal with. Haaretz.
  43. ↑ Hagit Peleg-Rotem (March 12, 2015). Stars Inside. Globes.
  44. ↑ Galia Yahav (January 4, 2012). Review: Turning Point 5: Human Questions About Anxiety. Haaretz.
  45. ↑ Smadar Sheffi (January 6, 2012). "The Specialists" Review: A Non-Family Meeting. Haaretz.
  46. ↑ Smadar Sheffi (February 28, 2012). Windows 1483. Haaretz.
  47. ↑ (October 24, 2013). Making School. Not Just Cheap Wine. Erev Rav.
  48. 1 2 3 Hadas Reshef (February 6, 2013). "A Duo Exhibition"? Just Don't Expect to See Love There. Haaretz.
  49. ↑ Ouzi Zur (December 26, 2014). Art and the passive-aggressive power of erasure. Haaretz.
  50. ↑ Eitan Bouganim (January 28, 2015). To open a new clam. Haaretz.
  51. ↑ The Yearning for Myth. Haifa Museum of Art.
  52. ↑ Shany Littman (March 16, 2016). "New Horizons" kicked against the establishment with the founding of the state. Does it still influence Israeli art?. Haaretz.
  53. ↑ Ouzi Zur (November 25, 2016). Scratching a Black Mirror. Haaretz.
  54. 1 2 (January 5, 2017). Jonathan Hirschfeld: Flaying as a Metaphor. Portfolio.
  55. ↑ Model: Hoamge to Eliyahu Gat.
  56. ↑ Pillar of Cloud. Hermann Struck Museum.
  57. ↑ About heroes. National Library of Israel.
  58. ↑ (April 20, 2022). Discovering Curators // Dvir Shaked. Portfolio.
  59. ↑ (August 29, 2019). The Public's Right to Touch at the ND Gallery. The Joint List, Portfolio.
  60. ↑ Debby Luzia (November 11, 2019). Art News: Chaim Soutine and Other Interesting Exhibitions. Yedioth Ahronoth.
  61. ↑ Crimes and Misdemeanors. Tel Aviv Museum Library.
  62. ↑ Self-portrait : one can only depict oneself. exhibition catalogue. National Library of Israel.
  63. ↑ Kupferman Collection House. Hebrew Wikipedia Entry.
  64. ↑ Layer operation. Kupferman Collection House.
  65. ↑ (June 18, 2020). Elective Affinities at the Ben-Gurion University. The Joint List.
  66. ↑ Counterbalance. Givon Gallery.
  67. ↑ Digging Down – Art of the Pre-Future. Bible Lands Museum.
  68. ↑ (December 1, 2022). Jonathan Hirschfeld and Tamar Simon at the Nulobaz Gallery. The Joint List. Portfolio.
  69. ↑ (May 30, 2022). Had Gadya, The Horror Cycle at the Jerusalem Artists' House. Porfolio.
  70. ↑ This Is All the Magic. Bar-David Museum of Art and Judaica.
  71. ↑ Masterpieces. Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod (Meuhad).
  72. ↑ Ouzi Zur (May 7, 2024). Subconsciousness opens like a fan. Haaretz.
  73. ↑ (April 17, 2025). Marik Lechner and Jonathan Hirschfeld at Maya Gallery. The Joint List, Portfolio.
  74. ↑ Ouzi Zur (June 17, 2011). An explosive cocktail. Haaretz.
  75. ↑ (September 22, 2011). Not Just Cheap Wine: The Next Generation. Erev Rav.
  76. ↑ (July 10, 2014). The guide. Erev Rav.
  77. ↑ Hagit Peleg-Rotem (April 13, 2016). Vered Aharonovitch turns the Seder table upside down. Portfolio.
  78. ↑ Shula Kopf (October 17, 2019). An artist’s dilemma. The Jerusalem Report. p.38.
  79. ↑ Reut Barnea (June 9, 2022). Art Is Life: 15 Exhibitions That Will Blow Your Weekend Away. Time Out (magazine) Tel Aviv.
  80. ↑ Reut Barnea (January 5, 2023). Painting an Eternal Present: For Orit Akta, Painting Is a Lifeline. Portfolio.
  81. ↑ Itamar Zohar (April 27, 2023). The Recommended Exhibitions of the Weekend. Haaretz.
  82. ↑ (June 27, 2024). "Here and Now" marks 15 years of supporting Israeli art.
  83. ↑ He Who Wanted to be God. Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art.
  84. ↑ On the Land. National Library of Israel.
  85. ↑ Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  86. ↑ Iri Rikin (May 23, 2017). Thoughts on the next generation of humanity. Haaretz.
  87. ↑ Oded Wolkstein (November 6, 2018). "It seems to me that this is the last grave". Erev Rav.
  88. ↑ Eitan Bouganim (March 7, 2018). The exhibition catalog of Pamela Levy only interferes with focusing on her paintings. Haaretz books, p. 10.
  89. ↑ About heroes. National Library of Israel.
  90. ↑ Animaletters. National Library of Israel.
  91. ↑ On Life and Death. National Library of Israel.
  92. ↑ Kupfermanian action : affinitie. National Library of Israel.
  93. ↑ Anna Fromchenko: 245. Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  94. ↑ In his image, in his words : perusing the art and poetry of Azriel Kaufman. Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  95. ↑ (September 28, 2021). To Know Painting: Jonathan Hircshfelds' new book. Erev Rav.
  96. ↑ Hanina A Place for Contemporary Art: The First Ten Years 2009–2018. Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  97. ↑ Had Gadya: The Horror Cycle. Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  98. ↑ Linda Adams : Interiors. Tel Aviv University Libraries.
  99. ↑ Hagit Peleg Rotem (December 6, 2025). In His Soul: Jonathan Ullman Exposes (and Conceals) His Entire World in an Exhibition at the Place for Art. Portfolio.
  100. ↑ Dream now : selected essays about the dream. Tel Aviv University Libraries.