NAME: joSon .
BIRTH PLACE:
BIRTH DATE: 1.15.73
BIOGRAPHY
“joSon, a photographer with a culturally-rich background divides his time between New York City and San Francisco” - Communication Arts magazine.
joSon (jo-shon) was born in the Philippines to a Filipino-Chinese mother and an African-American father. At the age of ten, he was sent to live with his mother’s family in Vietnam, where he was educated in a Buddhist temple throughout most of his teen years in preparation for becoming a monk. “I thought that was my calling long before I saw life through the viewfinder,” joSon continues, “…but the truth is, I have never left the monkhood. I just left the temple. You can see that very clearly in my work today in a landscape, a portrait or a flower – meditations on the beauty to be found in the simplest of forms.”
After spending a few summers in the United States, he moved to San Francisco where he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Photo-Illustration from the Academy of Art University. His earlier desire for calm and tranquility, his humor and fun loving approach to life are clearly reflected in his images to this day.
His collectors recognize his imagery for it’s simple yet elegant treatment of the natural world. “joSon’s work helps me fall in love with my garden all over again” - says one collector when describing his collection of botanical images. joSon explains: “I do not like to simply document my subject, but rather bring it to life in my photography… and Mother Nature has the best subjects to inspire my passion.”
joSon’s black and white travel images of exotic landscapes reveals the timelessness of the land that we have long forgotten. Describing his recent photo exploration of Asia, joSon observes: “as Asia becomes more modern, skyscrapers and shopping malls are the landmarks of the future. As I travel, I try to search for its past and hope to document the people, the lands and the culture that still hold its secrets.”
joSon's work has appeared in ads for clients like, Yahoo DSL and Claritin pharmaceuticals, Samsung Electronics, Emirates Airline, Viking River Cruises in prominent magazines like Four Season, Communication Arts, IEEE, National Geographic Adventure, Parade, San Francisco and Vogue. joSon images have appeared in books and book covers, calendars, and greeting cards. His work has been exhibited in fine art galleries worldwide and has won numerous awards, including Graphis and PDN magazine. joSon also has collaborated with corporate clients such as Target Stores to create art work for their “Home Collections.” Today joSon’s limited edition prints are represented executively by Grand Images and their partners.
Outside of airport waiting rooms, joSon finds himself most at home between New York City and San Francisco.
