Jinny Ly is a Teochew-Vietnamese-American visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland. Born and raised in Oakland, California, she spent most of her time in Chinatown where her refugee family settled after fleeing the Vietnam War. Three generations of refugees in one family meant that there were always stories to be told.
Inspired by these stories, Jinny is interested in understanding how familial stories are passed on and their intergenerational impact. For the process-driven research, she refers to her family history and multicultural experiences as a child of refugees for inspiration whilst reflecting on the material and processes used to create site-specific installations. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from San Jose State University under textile artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood in 2009, Jinny completed her Masters of Fine Arts under Dr. Helen McAllister at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland in 2023. There she received the honour of being selected as an RDS Visual Arts Award Exhibitor.