This week on Founders and Funders Australia, Ray sits down with sculptor and model Chi, whose life has taken her from childhood in Vietnam to exhibiting at the NGV and building a new life in Australia.
Chi shares how her parents, raised during the Vietnam War with almost no resources, fought to give their daughters an international education. She talks about teaching herself English through Disney Channel, moving to Australia to study sculpture, and what it means to carry her family’s history, privilege and sacrifice into her creative practice.
In the second half of the conversation, Chi opens up about surviving an abusive relationship while on a partner visa, navigating court, and finding a legal path to stay in Australia without her abuser. She explains how trauma shut down her creativity, how modeling and community helped her rebuild, and why her work now centres on resilience, the human body and the full spectrum of the human experience.
Chi also talks about:
- Getting into a “flow state” with sculpture and why process matters more than prestige
- Showing work at NGV and integrating sculpture, light and space
- Her upcoming human-form homewares brand, including an incense holder cast from a human ear
- The immigrant mindset, hustle culture and why no one is truly “self-made”
- Practical advice for young artists on building skills, using uni resources and the power of networking
If you’re an immigrant, creative, or anyone rebuilding after a hard season, this one will land deep.
Follow Chi on Instagram: @lc_trinh
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