The painter Jaap Nanninga was a great source of inspiration for Van Dijk. In his abstract work, Van Dijk saw confirmation to continue on the path of non-figuration he embarked on. The second half of the fifties meant an artistic breakthrough for Jo van Dijk. Encouraged by the then director of the Groninger Museum W.J. de Gruyter, he had his first solo exhibition in 1959 at Galerie de Mangelgang. In the same year, at the invitation of both artists' associations, he became a member of De Ploeg and the more progressive Group NU. Until his death, Jo van Dijk made lyrical abstract work in various techniques, of which painting had been his preference for years, which only wants to refer to form, color and composition. His work is highly sought after and is rarely offered for sale. For more information about Jo van Dijk, see the book by Anne Karen de Boer: Jo van Dijk: paintings, published in Groningen by the Center for Visual Arts, [1996] in the so-called Quadrant collection.