There are some people who go up and then go down the mountain. Why? It is simply because they want to go up the mountain again. Robert Chua (蔡和平) is such a type of person. He laughed, “I did succeed, fail and succeed. Work and challenge are the sources of energy for me. I keep trying new things in my life. I am almost 80. My system is still fuelled by dreams. As an artist, I fill my soul and create artworks with soil, clay and rocks that are the natural ones or from the broken antiques.”
Robert is a rare bird. He does business not for money, but for testing if his creative ideas will come true.
I said, “Robert, when your age changes, your ambition will also change. You are ready to take up the baton that circumstances give to you!”
When Robert was a teenager, his parents divorced. He left his well-off family for Australia alone. He did not like high school except its sporting events. He quitted studies to work as a TV assistant. “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” After working for a while, he returned to Singapore, firstly as a stage production producer and then as a junior producer in a Singapore TV station.
Robert said, “I did not have a university degree and in a Singapore TV Station, that would handicap. Curiosity drove me to be adventurous. At that time, TVB (Hong Kong Television Broadcasts) was planning to operate free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong in 1967. So, I applied and got a job! Hong Kong was exciting for me! The general manager Mr Colin Bednall was even brave enough to ask me at 21 years old to be a producer responsible for a daily variety show. In 1967, there were large-scale anti-government riots in Hong Kong during the British colonial rule. People were unhappy and I wanted them to be happy. My successful blast was to create an evening show, full of singing, comedy, interviews and news update, called Enjoy Yourself Tonight 歡樂今宵. It first aired on TVB in November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast in October 1994. It is the world’s most successful longest-running live show!”
Robert drank some water and continued calmly, “After a number of years in TVB, I suddenly felt that I desired to let go what I had. I wanted to move forward. I left TVB and set up one of the first satellite TV stations in Hong Kong. It was called China Entertainment Television Broadcast (華娛衛視). That year was 1995! I think excessive optimism was my big mistake. Satellite TV was not that popular. Many people found the installation of a huge satellite dish expensive and troublesome. I figured out what I did wrong but it was too late to correct the situation financially. I battled the clock to sell my business and finally manage to sell it to the Warner Group.”
I was nosy, “Why did you later become a successful food tycoon?” Robert moved his head, “I am not a tycoon! When I was tired of producing TV contents, I had a fancy for food business. I
opened a shop ‘A La Bakery’ selling French bread. It failed. Luckily, I had another existing dim sum specialist shop called Tim Ho Wan (添好運). I suggested to the owners that they should expand their business overseas and I could take part. They agreed and we went ahead. We turned out to be successful. After some years, we sold it at an attractive price to a big group Jollibee with the help of brother in Singapore who was a specialist in investment.” My jaw dropped, “You got so much money and you should enjoy life. Why are you still a fuel-powered generator and take up 2 more projects at present?” The reply from Robert suddenly made me have a meltdown, “The meaning of life is not about existence. You go up and achieve, and prove yourself! This is why I get so much unfinished business and do not want to slow down.” I tried to gain the upper hand, “You will lose your money again!?” He answered rationally, “Any business is associated with risk factors. If we keep enough money for a living, the rest can be spent on dreams. I want to open a restaurant with ‘AI-driven’ robots which can serve customers. Meanwhile, I have also been creating my artworks with stones, bricks, clay, sand and broken antiques.”
I wanted to shake the second dream out of his box, “The first mission is understandable as you are a food master. Why do you wish to lead the life of an artist? It is a tough journey. Just being a doer and mover is not good enough.” Robert sneaked himself out into this dream, “I was sick about 25 years ago. My brain had an operation. I stayed at home. I was a collector of antiques especially the ceramics and pottery but some of them were damaged. I hoped I would make the broken pieces to be born twice than once. In this way, I could mix my spirit with that of the ancient artist who created the original work. I could feel we two were communicating. Following my art dream of ‘fusion’, I started to pick stones, clay, sand and any beautiful substance of the land surface from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and in fact, everywhere to try to make my art objects. I would like to instill mother nature into my works.”
I asked, “You are still an a hobbyist artist. Where do you want to go?” Robert pondered, “At my age, I do what I enjoy doing. There is no destination or target. Today. I just plan to do an art exhibition for charity. People may or may not like my creativity. I don’t mind. I am still Robert Chua. The thing that I care is the continuous improvement in how I make these art pieces, consistent that what I think philosophically!” His house in Kadoorie Hill is filled up with art objects. There is hardly any space to walk.
“Even when our eyes are closed, there is a whole world that exists outside ourselves and our dreams.” Not long ago, I thought I was old. Because of the great model of Robert, I appear to appreciate that I am, in spite of my age, still young. Some people go round in circles and keep themselves in the loop simply for self-justification, Robert & I just live for one reason: dreams, future dreams that guide our daily actions and purposes…
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