JJ Manford b. 1983

JJ Manford’s practice is rooted in painting, incorporating elements of drawing and design through oil stick, oil pastel, and Flashe paint on burlap stretched over canvas. His work envisions domestic interiors filled with historical artworks, decorative objects, textiles, furniture, and animals, often serving as dreamlike gateways to memory, art history, and altered states of consciousness.

Drawing on both personal and projective memories, as well as references to rural landscapes and domestic spaces, Manford delves into themes of nomadism, isolation, and transcendence. While not literal representations of specific places or moments, these influences emerge through his intuitive and responsive approach. The interplay between spontaneity and structure is central to his practice, as he navigates the tension between abstraction and figuration. His compositions are informed by art historical sources, the decorative arts, and psychedelic experiences, creating densely layered scenes that reflect both internal states and painterly traditions.

JJ Manford earned his BFA in Fine Art and Art History from Cornell University, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and an MFA in Painting from Hunter College. He is currently an adjunct professor at Pratt Institute. He has exhibited widely in the United States and internationally, including at Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY; V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark; Galeria Marta Cervera, Madrid, Spain; Arts and Leisure, New York, NY; John Davis Gallery, Hudson, NY; One River Gallery, Allendale and Englewood, NJ; and Freight + Volume, New York, NY. His work is included in the public collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL; and Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY. He is a founding member of Underdonk and Tappeto Volante based in Brooklyn.

Manford was named one of Artsy's 10 Sought-After Artists in 2022, and he has received press coverage in The New Yorker, ArtNet News, and White Hot Magazine. In 2024, his solo exhibition, titled Hayden Rowe Street at Derek Eller Gallery in New York was reviewed by Donald Kuspit in Artforum.