After 18 years as a banker with an international British Bank, Jo Wong began her journey as an artist in early 2003, following five years committed to mothering her sons during their early childhood. Starting off with Chinese brush painting, she found herself drawn to plein-air (on-location) painting.
The following years saw her attending a succession of painting workshops in various countries with local master, Ong Kim Seng and other foreign masters like Stephen Quiller, John Yardley, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvik.
Subsequently, she participated in several group exhibitions and had a successful debut solo in 2011, and a couple of solo Charity Shows. In 2017, she launched a booklet about the conserved area of the "Streets of Tiong Bahru" (a community project) and had a very successful solo show.
Throughout this journey, Jo also found time to follow her other passion of writing and illustrating books for children. She completed her maiden illustrated children’s novel, Squeaky … he is more than a squirrel … in 2005, and followed up with the sequel, Squeaky Is Gone! in 2007 and in 2010, she released the third instalment of the series, Squeaky’s Choice.
In 2009, she added to her literary oeuvre with ten fully illustrated books for early readers. In 2011, she launched her fourth book in the Squeaky series, Squeaky’s Dilemma.
Collected by National Parks Board, her works are also in the homes and offices of many people from all walks of life. Her affinity with nature and heritage subjects are passionately expressed on the canvas, rendered in rich detail and lovingly composed to create paintings that immerse the viewer in the scene presented. Her training with masters shows in her impeccable technique and therefore photographs of her work do little justice to her actual art pieces.
Her strength is not only in capturing the very essence of a scene, but the atmosphere and unique perspective that bring one right onto location, painting with her.
In 2011 Jo established her own private studio & gallery, Jo’s Creations, where she could showcase her works regularly and further pursue her deep passion for painting and writing.