Flo Oy Wong
Recipient of the CATS Image Hero Award in 2022
Artist, Poet, Educator
(October 28, 1938 – April 11, 2026)
The CATS community joins many others in honoring the life of Flo Oy Wong, an extraordinary artist, poet, educator, and beloved creative force in our community.
Born in Oakland Chinatown, Flo helped pave the way for generations of artists as co-founder of the Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) and a three-time NEA award recipient. Her creative spirit never stopped evolving. She embraced poetry later in life, publishing Dreaming of Glistening Pomelos at 80, and joyfully performed as part of The Last Hoisan Poets.
It was a privilege for CATS to present Flo’s autobiographical films, Tales of the Tofu Goddess: The Artful Life of Flo Oy Wong and Drawn from Life: The Creative Legacy of Flo Oy Wong, through the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival, sharing her remarkable story and artistry with our audiences.
We are especially honored to dedicate this year’s Sisters Matsumoto staged reading to Flo’s memory. Her profoundly moving “Suitcase Series: Luggage from Home to Camp,” exhibited at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, reflects on the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the emotional weight of displacement, memory, and resilience, themes that deeply resonate with Sisters Matsumoto. Flo’s work continues to be exhibited at the museum, making this tribute especially meaningful in the very space where audiences will gather to experience this story.
Flo’s artistry, warmth, and fierce creative spirit leave an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire generations.