Teh Siew Joo graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1954, where he trained under prominent figures in the Chinese art world, such as Qi Bai Shi and Wu Guan Zhong. He began his career as a cartoon animator at the Shanghai Art and Film Production Studio, contributing to the creation of the awardwinning film 'A Tadpole Looking for Its Mother' at the 17th Cannes International Film Festival in 1964. Active in China's art scene, Teh joined the Shanghai Artists Association and exhibited in its annual shows. He also published children's art books.

Moving to Hong Kong in 1961, he worked in commercial art, animation, and graphic design. Returning to Malaysia in 1967, he pursued a 20-year career as an interior designer, collaborating on projects such as the Mandarin Hotel in Kuala Lumpur and the French Hotel in Ipoh, as well as designing the interior of Pekan Palace for His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Despite his design commitments, Teh never ceased painting. He held his first one-man Chinese ink painting exhibition in 1976 in his hometown - Ipoh and went on to showcase his work in solo exhibitions across Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia. He also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the International Teochew Arts Art Exhibition, Singapore; Japan Asian Watercolor Art Exhibition, Osaka, Japan; the Malaysia Confederation Asian Watercolor, Kuala Lumpur; and “Rediscovery”, Penang. Teh’s paintings are included in the collection of Penang State Art Museum.