Vibrant Dreams

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

- Kiran Pillay

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 attribute 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, along with 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.