Iya Jomi Jomi translates to mother of two waters in the Lucumi tradition. A name given by her elders to guide her path. Van, is a child of Vietnamese refugee parents, a mother, creative educator, and an artist. She is passionate about documenting and celebrating stories where people and spirit combine in sacred communication. 

Van earned two film degrees, a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University, and uses the tools she honed in her programs and practice to support communities in telling their stories. She has produced a range of multimedia projects that celebrate spiritual practices, cultural dances and traditions, and spotlight Bay Area elders, youth, and community leaders. Van is a Co-Executive Director of a youth arts organization in San Francisco, where she collaborates with artists, activists, healers, and culture bearers who center Black, Indigenous and Ancestral knowledge.

Van is driven to be a part of and build collaborative spaces where art is a tool for activism, liberation, and healing.

“I believe in the sweat of love and the fire of truth.”

- Assata Shakur