Ivan Pinkava studoval v letech 1977 – 1981 Střední průmyslovou školu grafickou v Praze a následně Uměleckou fotografii na FAMU. V roce 1989 spolu s dalšími fotografy spoluzaložil Pražský dům fotografie (PHP), v letech 2005 – 2007 působil jako vedoucí ateliéru Fotografie na pražské UMPRUM. Mimo české instituce je zastoupen ve sbírkách Bibliothèque nationale de France v Paříži, Gernsheim Collection v Texasu, Victoria and Albert Museum v Londýně, Kinsey Institute Art Collection v Bloomingtonu, The Dali Photo Museum v Číně, v Museum of Photographic Arts v San Diegu a v mnohých dalších.

Ivan Pinkava studied at the Secondary Industrial School of Graphic Arts in Prague from 1977 to 1981 and subsequently at Art Photography at FAMU. In 1989, together with other photographers, he co-founded the Prague House of Photography (PHP), and from 2005 to 2007 he worked as the head of the Photography Studio at the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design. In addition to Czech institutions, he is represented in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, the Gernsheim Collection in Texas, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Kinsey Institute Art Collection in Bloomington, The Dali Photo Museum in China, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego and many others.