About Jonah
From Accountant to Artist to Academic. Why?
Hello there! My name is Jonah Calinawan (JO-nah ca-lee-NA-wan), and I’m a cyanotype artist and writer based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Through my cyanotype photographs and blog writing, I hope to inspire you to follow your bliss. Whatever your soul longs to do, you can do it! I’m proof of that.
From Accountant
I trained as an accountant. I bought my first camera in 2002 on a whim.
In 2008, a photography instructor suggested a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree to further my photography. Why waste money on an arts degree? I thought about it for a long time.
In 2010, after many cost-benefit analyses, I entered the MFA online program at the Academy of Art University while working full time.
To Artist
Completing my MFA four years later in 2014, I’m amazed at the unintended path I embarked on.
I specialize in a hand-applied 19th-century printing process called cyanotype—giving my prints their deep blue color. My cyanotypes have been exhibited locally and internationally—from China, the US, and the UK.
Discovering FIRE
In 2017, I discovered FIRE, the “Financial Independence Retire Early” movement. After many what-if financial modeling and an extra push at work, I quit my full-time accounting job in 2019.
Much like the man in my ongoing photographic series A Million Suns, I search for the future by connecting the dots of my former life as an accountant to the new one as an artist. I’m following my bliss to see where it leads.
To Academic
On August 6, 2020, I had a dream that led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Mythology. I thought quitting my job to become a full-time artist was the goal! Life had other ideas. I don’t know why and how this degree connects to my art and writing, but I am willing to find out. Join me on this journey.
Master of Fine Arts in Photography 2018 Overlea ArtsFest, 1st PRIZE, Baltimore, MD. 2004-2019 World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA. The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. Its’ vision is to reduce poverty, increase shared prosperity, and promote sustainable development in developing countries. 1994-2003 KPMG, Toronto, Canada. KPMG is one of the Big Four accounting organizations in the world offering financial audit, tax, and advisory services.Education
CPA Certified Public Accountant (Illinois, USA)
Chartered Professional Accountant (Canada)
Bachelor of MathematicsA Subset of Art Exhibitions
2017 National Arts Program Exhibition, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1st PRIZE, Baltimore, MD
In Transit, VETS Gallery, Rhode Island, USA.
2016
A Cartography of Dreams, Dimbola Museum, Isle of Wight, UK.
Lemniscate of Diffusion, A Smith Gallery, Texas.
Art of Science, Maryland Science Center.
2015
(re)View: Explorations in Human Nature, Art Intersection Gallery, Arizona.
Photowork 2015, 3rd PRIZE, Barrett Art Gallery, New York.
Memory, see+ Gallery, Beijing, China.
2014
Shenzhen International Photography Festival, Guangdong, China.Accounting Career Before Art
