After her retirement as an educator, Joanne settled down and directed her focus and attention to her lifelong passion - art. Her first spark of interest in art occurred at the age of six, when her first drawing and colouring of an apple was displayed on the classroom wall. She took up water color painting under the tutelage of Sifu Sim Chiap Hin and then commenced painting abstract in acrylic which has since become her ultimate interest and passion, thanks to her mentor David Chew. Joanne’s unconventional paintings are abstract themed and inspired by both the colorful and mundane aspects of life in Sarawak. Her inspirations comes from her frequent travels and experiences in life. She finds it therapeutic as she pours, strokes and sponges onto her canvases. As an abstract expressionist artist, her work portrays her feelings, life, beauty and quirks of her beloved hometown. She participated in David Chews solo art exhibition entitled, Encounter at the Lov Gallery, Kuching in 2014 and sold her first painting, The Vibrancy of Youth’. In 2016, she exhibited her artwork under Contemporary Art at The Brick Lane Gallery in London and sold her work on the international platform. Her works are collected and adorn offices and homes in Kuching, Miri, London and New York.

JOANNE LAU | ARTS