Isabella Kahn is a lens-based artist born in China and living in Philadelphia, PA, as she completes her BS in Photography at Drexel University. Her creative practice navigates the tension between her personal history and global memory as a transnational, transracial adoptee, highlighting themes of identity, displacement, and family.

Isabella has shown her work nationally and internationally, in cities including Chicago, New York, Houston, and London. Select group exhibitions include Momentary Visions at The Print Center and Alternatives 2025: Image as Record at Ohio University. Her project, 32 Years Later: The Legacy of Chinese Intercountry Adoption was selected for Vision(ary) 2025 at the Griffin Museum of Photography, and she was recently recognized as one of the Top 25 to watch by Lenscratch’ for their 2025 Student Prize. Isabella’s photographs has been published by Teen Vogue and People Magazine, and her work can be found in the permanent collection of the International Center of Photography. She has also co-curated photographic exhibitions at the Photography Gallery at the University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, and the Copeland Gallery in South London.





EDUCATION

BS in Photography, Westphal College of Art & Design, Drexel University, expected Aug. 2025

School of Art, University of the Arts, 2022-2024

School of Arts & Sciences and School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University, 2021-2022



RELATED EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS 

International Center of Photography, 2018-2022

Courses: Summertime Stories; Color Darkroom Practices I; B&W II: Street Photography Practices; Creating a Body of Work; Imagemakers

Penumbra Foundation, 2022

Courses: Large Scale Cyanotypes on Fabric; Building a Camera Obscura; Intro to Wet Plate

Fashion Institute of Technology, 2019 

Course: Portrait Photography Workshop 



PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Freelance Photographer, 2019-Present

Ideal Curatorial Intern, The Clay Studio, June-Sept 2024

Media Resources, Work-Study, University of the Arts, 2022-2023

Research Assistant, Haverford College, June-August 2023

Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Photography, River Dell Regional High School, 2019-2020



CURATORIAL PROJECTS


Co-Curator, The Growth and Decay of Social Connectivity, Copeland Gallery, London, 2024

Co-Curator, A Sense of Place, University of the Arts Photography Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2024



JURIED GROUP EXHIBITIONS


2025 42nd Center Annual, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX

Vision(ary) 2025, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA

Photography Now, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL

Alternatives 2025: Image As Record, Ohio University, Athens, OH

2024 Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures At Home in Philadelphia, Creative 

Philadelphia Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Student Show, PhotoLounge, Philadelphia, PA



OTHER GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025 Senior Thesis Exhibition, Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Her Lens, Her Story, JPEG Gallery, Camden, NJ

Hang in There, Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA

Momentary Visions, The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA

2024 Now, One With Everyone, Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA

Art in the Raw, Copeland Gallery, London, UK

2023 Sizzle, Gershman Hall Student Center Gallery, University of the Arts

2022 Discovery and Exploration, School of Art Exhibition, University of the Arts

Photography Area Show, School of Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

2021 Imagemakers Showcase, International Center of Photography

2020, 2018 Group Exhibition, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Exhibition, Montclair Art Museum



FREELANCE CLIENTS


Teen Vogue

People Magazine (Photo Licensing via Teen Vogue)



PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

International Center of Photography



AWARDS


2025 Top 25 To Watch, Student Photo Prize, Lenscratch

2024, 2025 Dean’s List, Drexel University

2024 Henry Nias Foundation Scholarship, University of the Arts 

2024 Julie Jensen Bryan + Robert Bryan Photography Scholarship, University of the Arts 

2022, 2023 Dean’s List, University of the Arts 

2020 National Merit Commended Scholar

2020, 2018 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Gold Key recipient in Photography

2020, 2018 Drexel University High School Photography Contest Finalist

2020 Ward Museum Art in Nature Photo Festival Honorable Mention

2018 Scholastic Art & Writing National Silver Medal Recipient



PUBLICATIONS & INTERVIEWS

2025 “Home & Heritage” Online Artist Panel, Griffin Museum of Photography

2024 “Clay & Conversations,” interview with Jennifer Zwilling, The Clay Studio
2018 Schulten, Katherine. “10 Things We Learned About Teenagers and the News: The Results of Our Student ‘News Diet’ Challenge.” New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/learning/10-things-we-learned-about-teenagers-and-the-news-the-results-of-our-student-news-diet-challenge.html?smid=url-share.