“Begun in 2005, Julian & Jonathan is my most extensive body of work, portraying the relationship between my father, Julian, and my half-brother, Jonathan. Jonathan is 21-years younger than me, and my childhood memories of my relationship with my father have since found echoes – to some extent – in Jonathan’s experience. I’m interested in the triangulation between us; the changing proximity and distance we share, and the peculiar feeling of looking in on a world to which I don’t fully belong.
Over the years, the dynamic between them – and us – has ebbed and flowed. Sometimes they were close, and at other times they were further removed from one another. They have both dealt with the hardship of loss and its many painful consequences. My images of Jonathan throughout his youth, whether alone or with our father, chronicle these shifts and turns. With each photographic session, I attempt to get closer to him, to establish connection, to understand his inner world; at times, the resistance I’m met with only fuels my intrigue to know more. The project is as much about me and my family as it is about their separate universe.
Sarah Mei Herman’s photo book Julian & Jonathan was published by GOST Books (London) in February 2025.
