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Hi! I'm Jodee.
Hi friends, mucho gusto -- as they say in Mexico with warmth!
I am an international contemporary abstract artist. My paintings are characterised by their vibrant colors, modern metallic touches and bold textures derived from natural elements.
I'm honoured that you're here to share a moment of breath, bliss and beauty with me.
To give you a little context about how my art came to be, here're a few defining moments of my art journey thus far.
Now, let's get to the fun stuff!
Home is where my he(art) is
“Crank up the music!” my new friend Sasha shouted…
And her father, Giorgi, quickly followed it up with “Yes, that’s right Jodee… In Georgia, it’s obligatory to toast to friends and family first… That is always the highest priority, but art is a close second. So let’s toast to the joy we receive from appreciating and creating art…”
I barely had a second to drink my shot of Chacha, a homebrewed Georgian alcohol, before Sasha and her brother picked me up to teach me their country’s traditional dance.
I am still not quite sure how, but somehow I found myself in a tiny village in Georgia… No, not the American state Georgia, but the ex-Soviet, eastern European Republic of Georgia.
Georgia is a small country that is most famous for its wine, but also has one of the deepest appreciations for art I have ever experienced.
And that was a big contrast for me… Afterall, I was born and grew up in Hong Kong, a hyper commercial city where creating art is a much lower priority and most parents pray their kids not to become an artist.
I ended up living for three years in Georgia and it’s experiences like the story above that influenced me heavily as an artist.
Over the past 15 years, I have lived in Hong Kong, Australia, England, Thailand, Germany, the Republic of Georgia and now, Mexico.
In my art, I draw inspiration from all of the places I called home at one point or another in my life.
Not only from the nature and the unique experiences I’ve had there, but most importantly, from the diverse cultural and personality characteristics of the people I have met there.
At times, I even incorporate real pieces of nature in these countries and use them in some of my artwork.
And while living across the world is exciting and interesting, it’s not all roses.
It can be very difficult, frustrating and lonely.
Most of all, it has become a necessity for me ever since China started the destruction of free speech, freedom of thought and the democracy of Hong Kong, my beloved native home.
Going back is not an option anymore.
Moving countries is no longer just an exciting adventure, but a mission to find a place that’s aligned with the values of my Hong Kong roots and the new values I developed traveling around the world.
And art is my way to express and commemorate the beautiful moments, the internal struggles and impressions of my life.
I welcome you to my world and hope you enjoy exploring my pieces as much as I enjoyed making them.
Learning the traditional Georgian dance from the warm, genuine and artistic locals.
Caught redhanded: Stealing sand from my favorite Mexican beach to create my painting texture...
Feeling inspired by the stunning sunset of the Black Sea near Batumi, Georgia.
Jodee: My Origin Story
I couldn’t stand or walk without excruciating pain when I had my first severe sciatica. But painting was still my best cure (my physiotherapist clearly didn’t agree).
Let me set the record straight by stating the art sesh wouldn’t have been successful without the advice of my best CEO: Dusty.
If you didn’t know I’m a stubborn fool, now you know 😉
I've been painting since I was a little kid -- not so much for joy, but to win competitions. I know, that's as typically Asian as it gets growing up in Hong Kong.
I still vividly remember the late nights I stayed up to work on a huge portrait of Albert Einstein to enter a city-wide high school competition....
Even though, as a kid, I really didn’t care about or science-themed art… But that’s what the competition demanded and that’s all that mattered at the time.
Naturally, under an environment where academic success and winning trumps everything, I wasn’t inclined to paint freely or for joy.
It wasn't until my mid 20s when I lived in the Republic of Georgia that my love for art has been reignited. While some parts of the country remain impoverished, it never stopped the local people from creating art with passion — even if that doesn’t yield any financial results.
The pursuit of art without expecting anything in return shook my Asian mindset to the core. “You allow yourselves to do art for hours without any possibility of advancing your career? Whaaaaat? Why don’t you use that free time to do an MBA or free accounting course instead?” - I actually said that to a local friend.
In my mind, spending hours on artistic pursuit seemed like a luxury that only retirees can afford.
It happened slowly at first. But once I got the art bug, it spread widely and swiftly.
I was working full time at a digital bank. Even though on some nights I would be exhausted after work, I would find myself painting and experimenting past midnight for days on end.
I started experiencing the world in a brand new way. It felt surreal. It was as if the world became more dynamic and intricately beautiful. I started noticing all the nooks and crannies in an object, I started seeing more colors than the ones I knew existed on a color spectrum….
I even started dreaming in colors and compositions. Oftentimes, I'd wake up in the middle of night to sketch the dreams before they escaped my mind the next morning.
Fast forward to today - I am proud to call myself an artist (sorry, mum and dad).
My artwork these days is created straight from the heart, free of impurities or desire to please or win. I am inspired by nature, my cultural experiences around the globe and the deep emotions from my struggles and failures.
My mission is to connect with you as humans, for us to forget about all differences and stress in life and embrace the commonalties we all have — the appreciation of life’s wonder and its beauty.
May my art serve as a reminder that there is always hope, even in the darkest of times.
Thank you for taking your time if you've made it this far. Take a moment to relax and immense in the beauty. I hope my art will connect with you and provide solace when you need it.
Until then, stay true to your awesome self!
With love and acceptance,
Jodee Fong
Meet the Rest of the Team
Introducing an integral team member, my one & only..
Dusty
Studio Supervisor
Dusty is the heart and soul at the Art Studio.
As the head supervisor, his day-to-day includes a strict regiment of patrolling the parameter, giving feedback to the artist's painting techniques, pushing unsatisfactory paint brushes onto the floor and making sure all the canvases and water jars pass the sniff test.
He plays an integral role as an artistic muse and has made numerous wise suggestions to the paintings.
P.S. Here's a painting dedicated to him, in case you were curious.
