Uyen Loewald was born in Vietnam and studied Literature and Mathematics at the University of Saigon. She was arrested for her political stand against the Diem regime in 1962 and spent six months in gaol without trial. She married an American diplomat, Klaus Loewald, and left Vietnam for the United States. She migrated to Australia in 1970, living first in Armidale then in Canberra. In Australia she has worked as, among other things, an international caterer and chef and as Co-ordinator of the Migrant Resource Centre. In 1984 she was community writer in Bankstown, NSW and in 1985 was artist-in-residence for the Arts Education Team, South Australian Department of Education. In 1995 she was teaching at the Canberra Institute of Technology. She has a Master of Science degree and a Diploma in Social Communication. Loewald has been a member of the Multicultural Arts Advisory Committee of the Australia Council and an active member of the Women's Electoral Lobby.
