Painter. Born UK (1975). Lives and works in Oxfordshire.
Eleanor Wong is a semi-abstract painter whose work explores connection, play and the quiet threads that bind us to ourselves, to one another, to animals and to the natural world. Originally trained as an Illustrator (Manchester, 1998), she transitioned to fine art after a decade in London, represented by Folio Illustration Agency, with her three children as continuing sources of inspiration. Working from playful dioramas, collected objects, animals, natural forms and children's drawings, she builds layered paintings in oil, acrylic and ink that sit between figuration and abstraction, inviting viewers into a space of childlike wonder, memory and transformation.
Artist Statement
Painting and drawing have always been a way for me to explore and connect with myself, with others, and with the world around me. I’m drawn to the idea of play as a way of discovering connection, letting curiosity and intuition take the lead.
Animals often become my companions in this process. I’ve always been drawn to them; they act as bridges, free from the judgments we place on human faces, offering glimpses of emotion and character in their purest form. Through them, I explore a shared language that links us.
I’m a collector by nature, of objects, furniture, plants, animals, natural forms, and children’s drawings, and these often spark beginnings in my work. It usually starts with play: setting up small scenes and dioramas, drawing from life and imagination, and letting stories unfold. From there, I move to board, canvas, or paper, combining drawing and painting in oil, acrylic, and ink. I like to build up layers so that traces of earlier ideas remain. Each piece carries echoes of previous explorations; nothing is ever lost, it simply transforms.
I’m fascinated by the childlike sense of wonder that persists in us all, how imagination bridges who we were and who we are now. Recent works explore the game of hide and seek as a metaphor for connection, the thrill of being seen and unseen, finding and being found, across species and selves. It’s about the invisible threads that bind everything together.
Eleanor Wong, 2026
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso - Eleanor circa 1982
“You are old when you have lost the child within you, the key to growing old is staying young,” my Dad, 1936 - 2022
Exhibitions
2023: RWS Royal Watercolour Society Open, Bankside Gallery, London
2022: Burford Art Gallery, Oxfordshire
2021: Shortlisted for VAO Visual Art Open, UK & International Emerging Artist Awards
2021: Oxford Arts Collective, Oxfordshire
2021: Burford Art Gallery, Oxfordshire
2021: Oxfordshire Artweeks Open Studios
2020: Burford Art Gallery, Oxfordshire
2020: Oxfordshire Artweeks Open Studios
2019: Pre-selected for RI Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours
2019: Oxfordshire Artweeks Open Studios
2019: Fitch & Fellow Gallery, Thame, Oxfordshire
2019: Cloister Gallery, Oxford
2018: Oxfordshire Artweeks Open Studios
2018: GAP Festival, Goring & Streatley, Oxfordshire
2018: Cornforth Studios, Newbury, Oxfordshire
2017: Freeborn Gallery, Oxfordshire
2017: Oxfordshire Artweeks Open Studios
2017: The Jam Factory, Oxford
Published Commissions
2007: BBC Radio Times
2006: Vanilla Magazine Ltd.
2005: Orangina bottle artwork, 23 Red Advertising Agency
2005: Radio Times, BBC Worldwide Publishing
2005: You Magazine, The Mail on Sunday
2005: Community Care Magazine, William Reed Publishing Ltd.
2005: Euro RSCG Riley Ltd.
2005: Restaurant Magazine, The Restaurant Game Plc.
2005: The Telegraph, Telegraph Group Ltd.
2005: Waitrose Food Illustrated, John Brown Citrus Publishing
2005: The Guardian Guide, Guardian Newspapers Ltd.
2005: The Guardian Guide, Guardian Newspapers Ltd.
2004: West London Mental Health NHS
2003: City Reach Health Services, Norwich NHS
2000: Unilever Brothers Ltd.
Illustration Exhibitions
2006: Images 30: Group exhibition, AOI The Best of British Contemporary Illustration, The Old Truman Brewery, London
2005: Artists & Illustrators Exhibition, Business Design Centre, Islington, London
2004: Pop-up solo exhibition, Kingly Court, Soho, London
2000: New Designers Exhibition, Business Design Centre, Islington, London
Education
1998: BA (Hons) Illustration (with Animation), Manchester