Jo Wang was born in Beijing in 1939 and began working with brush and ink at the age of four. She graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Taiwan in 1962 and later became the pupil of Huang Junbi. Jo married David Hess, an American diplomat, and moved to Hong Kong in 1967 where she studied painting under Zhao Shao’ang. In 1974, the family relocated to Monterrey, California, where Jo operated an art gallery. By chance, she met Zhang Daqian, who became her mentor. In 1980, they arrived in Shanghai, and an exhibition soon followed. Jo often hosted painting parties for artists where guests were invited to paint or write calligraphy together. The present collection, assembled by Jo Wang and David Hess over decades, stands as a testament to ...