about

Marissa Ding is an Asian American portrait, editorial, and live music photographer based in Minnesota and Los Angeles. Born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota by Chinese immigrants, she developed a passion for image-making after using it to express the individuality she found through her heritage while being immersed in the contrasting dominant culture of the Midwest. She is interested in youth culture among BIPOC individuals growing up in the Midwest and immigrant stories. Her current project focuses on familial connections between herself and her extended relatives as her cousin relocates to Southeast Minnesota from China for a year to complete a research fellowship. 

Marissa is currently a public health and communications student at the University of Southern California, where she is Co-Editor-in-Chief at Descent Magazine, a USC-based Asian American arts magazine, and a staff photographer for Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media.

Other languages spoken besides English: Mandarin Chinese

contact: mld3930@gmail.com