The Road from There to Here

Text: Cammy Yiu—Culture Magazine Jul – Aug 2010
Photos: Galerie Ora-Ora

For Henrietta Tsui, the founder of Galerie Ora-Ora, her latest big move was just another step on a road that has taken her from one career path to another.

Galerie Ora-Ora’s recent grand opening in their new space on Shin Hing Street was inaugurated with an exhibition titled “Woven Sentiments” by artist Man Fung Yi. The art on display were enigmatic sculptures fashion after clothing and personal accessories from the artist’s wardrobe. Purses, shoes and dresses were rendered in shiny metal, yet looked as supple and malleable as if they were made of fabric or leather.

Previous to this new location, Galerie Ora-Ora, which represents innovative artworks by artists from Europe, China, America and Australia, operated out of an office.

The gallery’s new location was “a strategic and intuitive move”, said Henrietta Tsui, the owner and founder. Shin Hing Street is actually more of a stepped terrace sandwiched between Hollywood Road and Gough Street. The quaint area, called NoHo (North of Hollywood), has a mix of residential and small businesses and has seen a revival in the last decades. Once dominated by small printing shops and light industry street stalls, it now boasts hip fine restaurants and funky furniture shops. NoHo has become the newest fringe area for art and culture in Hong Kong.

Since the government announced their revitalization plans for the Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road, which will see its transformation into a hub for art and cultural groups, everyone has been taking a good second look at the NoHo neighbourhood’s potential. The current and future appeal of the neighbourhood was the big draw for Tsui. “We felt ready to have a ground floor space and to be close to the new ‘creative industries hub’ at the Old Police Married Quarters,” she said.

For Tsui, this expansion and relocation was a “big” move. It will give the gallery more exposure with walk-in traffic. But with that comes increased commitment for rent and staffing. It wasn’t a decision made lightly.

Being an art gallery owner wasn’t exactly what was in her plans when Tsui graduated with undergraduate degrees in economics and psychology. She went straight into banking afterwards and worked in that industry for over eleven years. During the time she was a banker, she enjoyed what she was doing and raised through the ranks steadily. But when Hong Kong fought SARS (in 2003) she re-examined her career choice and asked herself what she would like to be doing for the rest of her life. She decided that taking additional educational training would be the ideal way for her to answer this question and decided to take her Executive MBA degree through the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA programme.

The Executive MBA was the ideal choice for her, because the bank she was working for highly recommended that she pursue a part-time degree course. It allowed her to continue working full-time, and the bank sponsored her financially as well as with the time off needed to attend classes. It also helped that most of the course work was in Hong Kong.

During her time in the programme, her perspective changed. Her approach to what she could and would do for the future was forged during the times she spent in her classes and in her group work. Ideas for developing an art gallery business came from the course work and reading cases on strategic alliances, negotiations, marketing, logistics and leadership. And her confidence developed too. With the insight she gained from her classmates, who came from diverse backgrounds and industries, she was able to affirm her desire for pursuing something new and more aligned to her deep appreciation for the visual arts. She had been technically trained in different art media, and she painted and studied visual arts at nights. It had been a “serious hobby” but she was never encouraged to consider it a career. She began to feel that if she set her heart on working in an industry she loves and had the right management tools to back it up – it would work.

The planning and then the foray into opening up a gallery business took a few years. She had the passion for developing an art business, and she knew with her banking background and a freshly earned MBA that should would have the management know how to support it. Still, the decision took time.

The first few years after she founded Ora Ora weren’t easy. There were new business concepts she had to think through, curatorial issues to consider and different managerial challenges to tackle. Not knowing how else to do it, she originally developed the idea for an art business with her “banker’s” point of view – putting together terms sheets and cash flow projections as she would have in the banking industry. But she soon realized this was wrong and that running a small gallery business would be very much different.

The transition from being a full-time banker to that of a full-time gallery owner was tough too. In the beginning, the difficulty was that she had to switch to a different mindset. Unlike working at a large bank, the revenue did not come as easily. Her gallery was new and unknown and money was tight.

She found that she had to broaden her thinking, give up some control and work with various partners, such as real estate companies, banks and transportation companies to mount exhibition and grow her art business. Not only has she had to forge new strategic alliances; she has had to negotiate terms and find mutually beneficial business arrangements with these partners to encourage them to work with her.

“Believe it or not, when I was faced with challenges and sleepless nights, I went back to some of my MBA notes and coursework to find ideas and to get encouragement,” said Tsui.

She also found support through her friends and former MBA classmates. Through them she found her first artists to represent and the encouragement to forge on, and she developed the gallery’s clientele through this network as well as from former clients.

When she started (five years ago) there were only a few other galleries like Ora Ora around. Since then, there has been a considerable increase in the number of galleries, and rent and competition for prime gallery space has gone up significantly.

The reason Tsui and Galerie Ora Ora have thrived in this more competitive atmosphere is that she focuses on what is important and necessary for a small business. She has taken advantage of her work background, her education, the opportunities offered to her as well as making her own path. When she became an entrepreneur, she found that building relationships and developing a network of support were the most important things she could focus on.

She adds, “The gallery seems small, and my resources are limits, but our turnover is quite high. This is because we have developed a good reputation and have valuable strategic alliances and know the importance of targeted marketing.”

For Tsui, being the founder and owner of Galerie Ora Ora has been highly, and personally satisfying. “I have ownership of this business, and this means a lot to me.” And as a small business owner, she feels better able to manage the demands of her personal and professional life. As a new mother of five-month-old twins, she has had to juggle in a way she never had to before.

“Switching from being a female banker to being an art gallery owner, I have been forced to become more efficient with managing my time and all aspects of a business. It was a HUGE change.”