Jonathan Vega is a photo-based artist born and raised in the Hermosa neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Vega’s work explores questions of power and photography’s dual capacity to honor and repress, with a focus on carceral indexes and aesthetics used in historical and contemporary practices. 

Vega has served as the Gallery Coordinator for Denison Art Space in Newark and has taught at The Ohio State University, Elgin Community College, and Saint Mary's College. He earned his BFA from Denison University and his MFA in Studio Art/Photography from The Ohio State University. His work has been included in exhibitions at Moreau Gallery in Notre Dame, The Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries in Dayton, and, most recently, The Sculpture Center in Cleveland. Vega currently lives and works in Chicago.