Cover Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng created Painting Dreams Alive in 2023 (Photo: Fady Younis)
Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng created Painting Dreams Alive in 2023 (Photo: Fady Younis)
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Heritouch Gallery co-founders Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng share their hopes for Painting Dreams Alive, a programme nurturing artistic talent within the special needs community
Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng are the married duo behind Heritouch Gallery, an international art trading platform, exhibition space, and exclusive club for art collectors. With locations in Malaysia, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Heritouch Gallery specialises in contemporary artworks that convey touching stories while preserving heritage. “We never dreamed we would open an art gallery, but it has been a fruitful and satisfying experience,” Chai says, having transitioned out of a career in IT while Tan has left the insurance sector behind.
Eager to educate and empower others through art, the couple attributes their inspiration to launch their charity project to KL-based contemporary artist Ben Chong. “Ben’s child is mildly autistic. Although he was a successful interior designer, he became a full-time artist to spend more time helping equip his son with life skills,” Chai says, recalling Chong’s concerns about his child’s future independence. Ben’s account and those of other parents of differently abled children within the couple’s sphere drove Chai and Tan to pursue this project, bridging the special needs community with art called Painting Dreams Alive.
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Above Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng at Heritouch Art School, GMBB
Richie Chai and Tan Hui Teng at Heritouch Art School, GMBB
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“Special needs people want to feel they have value and can contribute to society. Painting is a way to help make their dreams come to life. With this project, we knew we did not want to follow a donation-based model. Instead, we wanted to educate people [on the unique potential of these artists] and use our expertise to influence more people to collect paintings,” Chai explains. “They are children from the stars who come to Earth with individual purposes but still need our support. There is no need to regard them with discrimination because while they are different, they are also normal,” Tan says.
In September 2023, the couple hosted the first Painting Dreams Alive charity exhibition, showcasing 70 artworks from eight young Malaysian artists with special needs. Proceeds were equitably divided to benefit the artists and to fund an art learning centre, aiming to offer free art education for people with disabilities to develop their artistic potential and unlock a means to earn an income.
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Above The Blessed Cat by Looi Yoke Hui
The Blessed Cat by Looi Yoke Hui
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“We saw promising results after the first charity event when we were approached by a property developer. They commissioned our young artists to create 800 portraits of the people who bought units in their property, to be presented as gifts to the new owners,” Tan says, hoping more opportunities like these will emerge for the artists.
This year, Painting Dreams Alive 2.0 is scheduled to happen from September 21 to 29, featuring 15 young artists. The inclusive effort represents those with autism, Down’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, muscular atrophy, and vision and hearing impairments. The dream of creating a sustainable network for these artists has not come without barriers. “Because these artists face specific challenges, they cannot finish paintings without a mentor or guide. We need to create an ecosystem to generate funds to support the artists and hire the right kind of teachers to sharpen their skills,” Chai says.
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Above Portraits by special needs artists, commissioned by a property developer
Portraits by special needs artists, commissioned by a property developer
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The couple credits artist and art teacher Eric Lai as the linchpin of Painting Dreams Alive. Lending his expertise to the couple’s efforts, Lai is the founder of Gaia Lapan at GMBB and ArtGene Studio in Ipoh, and has guided neurodivergent children in producing art for over a decade. “It’s not easy to find a teacher like Eric, who has so much experience handling kids and those who need extra care and patience,” Tan says.
Capable and empathetic teachers are essential, as the couple explains that the goal is to furnish artists with the tools to produce quality work and maximise their income by setting higher price points for their art.
“This year, our mission with Painting Dreams Alive 2.0 is to focus on establishing more of a community, especially for the parents of these young artists,” Tan says. “We want to let parents, especially those new to the struggle [of accepting their child’s diagnosis], know that they can come and join us. Share in the positive energy, be inspired and find the courage to face challenges knowing you are not alone.”
Credits
Photography: Fady Younis
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