We were lucky to catch up with John Vo recently and have shared our conversation below.

John, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

A big moment for me in finding my artist way was when I received a Fulbright grant to study silk painting in Vietnam in 2010. The experience of spending a year studying this amazing folk art and reconnecting with my roots was really nourishing and transformative to my practice and life as a whole.

Knowing what I know now, I believe the long way is the short way. My practice draws a lot of inspiration from my family’s migration story. To learn and to understand more of this history is a patient process. I can say the same about silk painting, to build up brilliant colors takes many, many, many, layers and lots of patience.

I think a really essential skill is staying curious. I believe staying curious keeps my skills sharp and helps me work when I don’t have a clear focus. More than that, staying curious connects me with other artists and their experiences. This has also been so pivotal in learning new mediums and materials.

I think the biggest obstacle that is in the way of knowing more comes down to the material. The unrefined silk I use comes from Vietnam. I’ve been privileged enough to go back 3 times, every 3-5 years. And every time I buy a stash of silk to create works. This process of restocking silk inventory really limits the amount of painting experiments that can be done in a year. Resulting in some real intentionality when it comes to making paintings. If I was able to have easier access to silk I could do more experiments and learn more.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a working artist that paints to connect to people. Through classes and workshops I create space to explore different processes for art making. In my studio practice I could be described as a materialist, sourcing textiles with a story and origin.
My current work utilizes Vietnamese silk, chiffon textile, and Cone denim– materials that speak of my family’s migration story. The subject of my work shares these narratives as offerings to make space and investigates memory and remembering as aspects of identity and meaning making.
My latest series, titled “This Souvenir Do’nt Forget” is featured at the Worcester Art Museum until November 4th. The works reflect a time of safety and joy during my parent’s tumultuous journey from Vietnam to the United States. The portraits in the series are inspired by a photo album that had manage to survive from that time.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I was reintroduced to Andrew Simonet’s “Making Your Life As An Artist” a few years ago and it’s been something that continues to keep giving. Andrew walks you through setting goals that could make the most impact on your practice. The book references other artists on their own journeys and is paired with a workbook that really asks wonderful questions about one’s own personal practice.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think society can better support artists, creatives and creative ecosystems by understanding that creative work is skilled labor, The prevailing myth of the starving artist portrays cultural workers as living off of passion; when truthfully sustainable and successful artists and creatives have a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial aspect of arts and culture. The demystifying of the artist myth allows artists and creatives to be working people, and society can support working people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.byjohnvo.com
• Instagram: @by_johnvo

Image Credits

My portrait was shot by Carolina Porras-Monroy.