When Chen was in fourth grade, a teacher who noticed his interest in making mud figures told him about Huang Tu-shui, the first Taiwanese sculptor to study in Japan. This made a deep impression on the young Houei-kuen.
公校四年級的時候，級任老師見他對泥塑有興趣，曾對他講述台灣第一位留日雕塑家黃土水的故事，讓他印象深刻。