Jona Frank

Jona Frank is a photographic artist based in Santa Monica, California. Her most recent book, Cherry Hill: A Childhood Reimagined, is set in the 1970s and tells the story of a young photographer navigating the confines of suburbia. Akin to a graphic novel, this hybrid of personal essay and photographs reimagines the memoir format, depicting Frank’s life as she dreams of friendship with Emily Dickinson, longs for Bruce Springsteen, and defies traditional expectations of femininity. Cherry Hill is Frank’s fourth book.

Throughout her career, Frank has worked extensively in narrative portraiture, with a focus on youth culture. Her previous book, The Modern Kids, combines the formal qualities of fine-art portraiture with the intimacy and mystery of boxing. Her first book, High School, explores the social hierarchy of public high schools across the United States, while her second, RIGHT, follows religious youth who aspire to become Republican political leaders.

Frank’s films and photographs have been exhibited internationally and are included in numerous collections, including the Getty Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. In 2018, work from her boxing series was featured in The Outwin: American Portraiture Today at the National Portrait Gallery. In the winter of 2022, Bowdoin College hosted the premiere exhibition Cherry Hill: Model Home.