Jesse Ly is an Asian-American photographic and image-based artist. They hold a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Art History and a certificate in Critical Visions from the University of Cincinnati’s college of DAAP. They currently are the Graphic Design and Photography Media Facilities Coordinator for Art & Design at the University of Dayton. Ly uses photographic approaches that incorporates processes of sculpture, bookmaking, assemblage and writing to inform and expand imagery. Their work navigates identity structures through representation, observation and comprehension by considering the transitional qualities of existence found within imagery and their adornments. They use this mode of looking to examine how photographic depictions incite differentiation in presence and portrayal through presented context and actuality. These concerns surface typically via self-analyzation, fixating on how Ly, those they have immediate discursive relationships with, their inhabited spaces, and objects of interaction exists through, with, and as photographic imagery. This is done to further dialogs of relationships of image-making, existence, and conceptual formulations through the sequencing, intervening, and examination of their compositions. This allots for a further inquiry of physical, ambiguous and psychological spaces to become re-contextualized through the perceptions, futilities, liminal spaces, and notions imagery creates. They have exhibited work both nationally across the US and internationally. They have had solo exhibitions at spaces including Filter Space - Chicago, IL, RoyGBiv Gallery -  Columbus, OH, Foster Gallery - Dedham, MA, and Gallery Photoland - Olympia, WA. As well had notable group exhibitions at spaces such as The Contemporary Arts Center - Cincinnati, OH, FotoFilmic - Vancouver, BC, and The PH Museum - Bologna, Italy among others. They have been a recipient of an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council, a Regional Artist Renewal Grant via the National Endowment for the Arts, and was named a finalist for the Aperture Portfolio Prize in 2023. Ly has also worked collaboratively as a member of Hot Take Press, producing publications to expand the possibilities of exhibition through print with other artists at institutions including: The Carnegie Arts Center (Covington, KY), The George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY), Beeler Gallery at CCAD (Columbus, OH) the Geffen at MOCA (Los Angeles, CA) Denny Dimin Gallery (New York, NY) and Printed Matter.