J for Joy

Jono Toh is a new artist taking Hong Kong by storm. In July, ahead of his successful debut show You Tell Me at H Queen's, he spoke to Tatler about what inspires him and why he's determined to live his life bigger, bolder and brighter

- Tara Sobti

When you walk into Jono Toh’s home in Sai Wan, it’s immediately clear that there is an artist in residence. Think floor-to-ceiling mirrors, interesting light installations and a beautiful Gaetano Pesce striped Up chair drawing you into the living room. It’s eclectic and emotive, much like Toh’s art, which features bold colours, deconstructed circles and proportion play.

“I’ve always been creative, leaning towards art, painting, sculpture or woodwork—anything that involves working with my hands,” he says. His childhood was fertile ground for his creativity to flourish: “I used to play a game with my father where I would draw something, then we would each take turns adding to it. For example, a wave that turned into the hair of a woman who had fish as lips. The lips were hooked to a reel being held by a teddy bear on a skateboard.” Toh continues to view the world around him today by seeing things beyond face value and allowing his imagination to run wild.

But the Singapore-born, Australia-raised creative didn’t always set out to be a painter. In fact, after graduating from secondary school in Sydney, Toh’s love for art and design led him to create the streetwear label Bones & Buddha. A degree at the Fashion Design Studio at the Sydney Institute of Technology followed in 2008.