Enter into the history of art
談熱情、堅持與成敗

From the age of 12 to 18, in those years of being an adolescent, I studied art under the instruction of Henry Ho. I expressed an interest in learning to draw and paint, and my parents soon began bringing me to Henry’s classroom studio once a week after school. I had imagined that I would learn skills, such as drawing and painting – activities I enjoyed doing. Little did I imagine that my time with Henry would be exceptionally formative, not only in my artistic abilities, but in my understanding of my Chinese-Canadian identity, my faith and spirituality, and my approach towards life and success.
早在少年時期，我開始對繪畫有興趣，在父母鼓勵下，跟隨何家強(Herny Ho)老師 學畫，正式接觸藝術訓練。起初，我抱著學習繪畫技巧的心態上課，豈料他竟成為我的生命啟蒙老師，不僅引發我對藝術的興趣，更在多方面影響我的人生，讓我重新思考我的身分、信仰和人生目標。

When the opportunity arose to interview an artist for this publication, Henry immediately came to mind. He was an artist who had influenced my life in profound ways, such as showing me the wisdom of ancient Chinese art and calligraphy while I was yet an arrogant, young Chinese-Canadian with little appreciation of my Chinese roots. I was curious to learn more about Henry, his artistic lifestyle, and his artwork. The interview was light in spirit and deep in inspiration, revealing Henry to be a man with rich passion, vast wisdom, and focused determination to become a great artist.
當編輯組建議訪問一位藝術家時，我即時想起何老師。回想少年的我，無知、自以為是，認為自己是一個加拿大人，對自己的祖籍毫無興趣，不聞不問，是何老師教我認識中國古典藝術與書法的奧妙，改變我一生。

The interview was light in spirit and deep in inspiration, revealing Henry to be a man with rich passion, vast wisdom, and focused determination to become a great artist. Naturally curious about how people choose their professions, I first asked him,
“How did you become an artist?”
我渴望透過這次訪問，深入了解老師的作品和藝術生活。訪問在輕談深省的氣氛下進行。
「你是怎樣成為藝術家的？」我問。我一直很好奇別人如何選擇事業。

Henry explained that he had already been artistically inclined from a young age – every spare piece of paper would be covered with his drawings, sometimes even the furniture! When guests came to visit, he would draw them something as entertainment and everyone would applaud. As he grew older he began to read a lot, including a book of the 20 greatest philosophers and their work. Henry recalled with vigorous excitement one specific moment when he was 17 years old. He had been reading when suddenly he slammed the book shut in his hands, stood up, threw the book to the ground, and declared with one arm raised, “I am going to be an artist!” At that very moment, a ray of sunlight burst through the window and shone upon his face. With this passionate declaration Henry embarked upon a lifetime journey of becoming an artist.
「我自小偏愛藝術，一張白紙便是我的圖畫紙，一件傢俬上也有我的「作品」。客人造訪，我以繪畫娛賓，博得不少掌聲。後來，我愛上閱讀，很多人感到枯燥無味的哲學書籍，我卻特喜歡，涉獵過大約20位哲學家的著作。」

何老師回憶起17歲時的轉捩時刻，仍然十分激動。「當時我正全神貫注閱讀，突然把書本合起來，拋在地上，舉高手臂，高聲宣布：我要成為藝術家！」他感到一縷陽光從窗口直射入屋，照耀在面頰上。就這樣何老師踏上了終身成為藝術家之路。

“But becoming an artist isn’t easy,” I inquired. “So many parents often reject their children’s dreams of becoming an artist, and beyond that, so many artists struggle to make a living. How did it happen for you?”
「成為藝術家絕非易事，很多父母都不鼓勵子女從事藝術工作，而且絕大部份藝術家成名之前生活潦倒，這些你有考慮過嗎？」我又問。從事藝術的路途往往崎嶇不平，並非一帆風順。

Henry had a plan that he systematically and purposefully followed to establish himself as an artist. First of all, he had to prove to his parents that he could responsibly support himself as an artist. In Hong Kong, he studied design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in order to find work. He sent money home and spent money carefully. It was important for him to become independent first. With his natural talent, brilliant mind, and focused hard work, Henry quickly rose in the ranks of the design world in Hong Kong, becoming a designer of the Hong Kong Television Broadcasting company, the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Cartoon Association, and a lecturer at the First Institute of Art and Design where he gave lectures on TV graphic, illustration, cartoon and general art.
何老師有一套從事藝術的計劃，循著既定目標前進。他考入香港理工學院主修設計，勤奮與天賦使他很快在香港設計界站穩陣腳，曾擔任香港無線電視公司設計師，香港漫畫協會副主席，亦任教大一設計學院。他向父母證明了從事藝術工作也可以維生。

Although his design work enabled him to continue fine-tuning his artistic abilities, he soon felt limitations on his potential growth as an artist. With his wife, Flora, he immigrated to Canada in 1988 choosing Toronto as their landing point simply because it was closest to New York City and it would give him more opportunity to explore Western art. He decided that in Canada, he would no longer work in design – it was his time to become a fine artist and an art teacher.
雖然設計工作有穩定收入，支持藝術創作，但他很快感到發展空間有限。1988年，他與妻子移民加拿大多倫多，主要原因是多倫多接近紐約，使他有更多機會探討西方藝術。抵加後，他毅然放棄設計，專注繪畫與美術教學。

The change of environment and transition in career was very difficult.
適應新環境，轉換工作的確困難重重。

Henry spoke of a despairing moment when he lay down in a corner after teaching young children who had crawled all over him and he remembered how in Hong Kong he used to teach university- and college-level students. This moment led to a profound understanding: “When you realize that no one is going to push you anymore and you still want to do it, that’s when you know that it is truly your passion,” Henry admitted. When he reached the pinnacle of a design career in Hong Kong, he felt there was no more room to be original. In Canada, he had enormous space, but he also needed to develop personal discipline to remain faithful to his artistic vocation.
有一次一個稚齡學生下課後，爬在他身上玩耍，憶起在香港時，學生都是大學生，他感到尊嚴受損，這種失望感覺局外人不易理解。不過他感到失望的同時，卻更肯定自己：「當你知道沒有人推動你的時候，你仍然堅持要做下去，那就是你真正的熱誠所在。」在香港設計事業達顛峰時，他感到創作空間很狹窄；來在加拿大，海闊天空，最重要是嚴守紀律、堅毅貫徹對藝術創作的熱誠。

At the age of 60 and after several exhibitions in Canada and China, Henry believes he is finally ready to create his masterpieces. His next project for an exhibition in China is to paint life-sized horses in the Chinese brush and ink style. Using paintbrushes the size of mops and large swaths of xuan zi (rice paper), Henry says that his art has taken decades to train for. He practiced Tai Chi for 30 years to develop the strength, force and power in his body to skilfully manoeuvre the brush, as well as the spiritual connection he experiences when he creates art. Henry also studied art theory, both Chinese and Western styles, in Canadian universities so that he could have the language to articulate his creative expression.
何老師最近的興趣是創作巨型作品。經過數十年訓練，勤練太極拳使他壯健，有足夠氣力運用如拖把般大的巨型毛筆，在宣紙上繪出栩栩如生的駿馬。他表示創作時體驗到一股靈氣融合其中。何老師在加拿大大學修讀中西方美術理論，認為此舉可幫助他用語言表達創作。

As an art teacher, Henry has taught hundreds of students, some who have become artists themselves. Henry’s teaching philosophy is simple: “I need to do it. I need to help others do it.” Even though my vocation was not to become an artist, Henry’s way of living and his artistic lifestyle have been deeply ingrained into my life. To spend time meditating in solitude, to recognize the inherent beauty and aesthetic grace around myself, to enjoy art in its creation and created form – these are my teacher’s gifts that enrich my quality of life.
從事美術教師多年，老師桃李滿門，有些人更成為藝術老師。何老師的教學哲理非常簡單：「我要幫助其他人。」雖然我的理想不是成為職業藝術家，但是，老師的生活哲學和藝術形式深深影響我──獨處靜思、認識身邊一切的內在美、審美、欣賞藝術原創──這些都是老師給我的禮物。

According to Henry, the greatest hindrance to an artist is not failure, but rather, success.
“When people begin to admire your art and many people buy it, will you still paint for yourself or will you paint for others?” Henry asks. Henry’s vision for himself as artist is much grander—to enter into the history of art.
As we can see, he is well on his way.
今時今日何老師已屆60，他先後在加拿大及中國舉辦多次展覽，他將前往中國展覽巨型毛筆水墨創作。訪問臨近結束，老師特別指出，藝術家的最大障礙不是失敗，而是成功。
他說：「當別人欣賞你的創作，要購買的時候，你究竟是為自己而創作，還是為他人？」