After his first acquisition, Hui continued to expand his knowledge about art by reading, going to exhibitions, and museums and subsequently attending fairs, thus growing his collection. As Hui’s collection grew, unexpectedly, he received a message from a gallery about one of the artists whose work he had purchased; the value of that artist’s pieces had skyrocketed at auction. This experience deepened his interest in learning more about art and collecting.
Before opening his gallery in 2011, Hui ran his own public relations, events, and marketing company. As his collection grew, he saw an opportunity to showcase the artists’ works in a gallery setting. Hui attributes his gallery success to his skillsets as a communications graduate. “It was a natural progression transitioning from a PR, events and marketing professional to an art business as a gallery owner, curator, dealer and collector,” he said. “My skills and experience have been incredibly beneficial to my art business; the storytelling, introducing artists and connecting with people came naturally to me.”
His foray into the auction market was an organic process that unfolded over several years. He became more involved in the art market beyond just collecting. He described the art scene in Hong Kong during his time as a collector, before opening his gallery in 2011: “It was all very organic. There were no art fairs, no Art Basel, and no established gallery districts in Hong Kong. I had the opportunity to meet with art institutions, get to know the community, and eventually began writing about art collections.”
