Sue Jo Wright is a Sydney-based artist working primarily with photography, video, and textiles which explore her identity as a Deaf person.

Sue grew up being torn between the ‘hearing world’ and the ‘deaf world,’ speaking orally in the beginning of her life and not using sign language until the age of 10. As Sue felt that sign language saved and enriched her life, she is inspired to create artwork in an attempt to break the barriers between the two ‘worlds’ and offer the wider community a glimpse into the identity of the Deaf community.

Since 2019, Sue works as a community arts advocate with a vision to reduce the barriers experienced by deaf and hard of hearing people from accessing artworks and performances.

This is achieved by consulting artists on how they can make their artwork and performances more accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences. Sue has a vision that can be simply put as 'accessibility for all,’ a simple phrase that is a huge hurdle in the society we live in. She continuously raises awareness of these ever-present hurdles in society through her art.

Sue sits on the DirtyFeet Board of Directors. 

Sue Jo Wright attained a Diploma of Visual Arts at TAFE NSW - St George, Fine Arts, which included a series of short courses in Arts Administration (Community Arts and Cultural Development).

Sue Jo is an award-winning artist working primarily with photography and mixed media, exploring different themes and perspectives through Auslan (Australian Sign Language). This creative process offers the wider world a glimpse into her private world within the Deaf community.

Sue Jo is currently working as Creative Director for Handshapes, hosting meet ups, educational workshops and events to benefit the deaf, hard of hearing, CODAs, and Auslan students, in Auslan, which fosters community spirits and allows for the development of artistic and creative skills.

With Artist Run Initiative (ARI) funded by Accessible Arts, Sue ran Sydney Deaf & Hard of Hearing Photographers (SDHP) from 2014 - 2019 and hosted meet ups, educational workshops and events to benefit the deaf and hard of hearing community with access to photography skills.

She currently holds a range of teaching, employment and professional appointments that establishes strong links for the deaf and hard of hearing community to the arts industry, including the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art, since 2016.

Sue has been awarded 2020 Australian Design Centre Award, Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Awards (SSCTA), was a finalist in the 2020 Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre and 2017 Maggie Diaz Photography Prize for Women.

Sue was one of three recipients to be awarded a Residency at the Bundanon Trust in 2017, the first time Accessible Arts has worked with Bundanon Trust on a residency for deaf and hard of hearing artists.

Sue was appointed as an accessibility consultant for Justene Williams at the Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2019. This appointment adheres to Sue's vision of making everything accessible and in her words.... 'a magical performance that will now be accessible to all audiences’.