Jonathan Harkham 'My Beloved Chogokin'

On Thursday, July 22, Mark Borghi Sag Harbor will open “My Beloved Chogokin” by Jonathan Harkham with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through August 4.

Harkham was born in 1972 in Sydney, Australia, to a mom from New Zealand and an Iraqi Jewish father. As a young child, he immigrated to the United States along with his parents and five siblings. They settled in Los Angeles, where Harkham’s early education ranged from religious Jewish yeshivas, to clothing factories in downtown Los Angeles, where he’d work after school as a teenager.

During this time, he was also heavily influenced by the aesthetics of street culture, including music, skating, zines and punk rock. He went on to study at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia, as well as the New York Studio School, where he received a certificate in painting.

He has shown his work in the United States and abroad, with his most recent solo exhibition, titled “City of Mysteries,” in 2019 at Werkartz Gallery in Los Angeles. Harkham’s work is deeply rooted in his multi-cultural upbringing as well as his extensive travels. The combination of street culture, such as Japanese toys, together with his interest in the history of painting, still remains at the core of his practice. He is currently based in Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, three children and three dogs.

Mark Borghi gallery is at 34 Main Street in Sag Harbor. Visit markborghi.com for more information.