Nancy Guppy Interviews Visual Artist Diem Chau
The Seattle magazine columnist takes crayons out of the box with Diem Chau
By Nancy Guppy August 20, 2013
This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
COFFEE DATE: Visual artist Diem Chau (diemchau.com), known for the tiny likenesses she carves into Crayola crayons, and whose show of new work at G. Gibson Gallery runs 8/30–10/5 (ggibsongallery.com)
SCENE: Diem Chau’s home studio in Ballard on a warm Wednesday in June
DIEM’S ORDER: Triple-shot iced Americano with milk
Nancy Guppy: When did it first occur to you to carve tiny sculptures out of crayons?
Diem Chau: After art school I was doing research into American folk art where people sit and whittle. I had a box of crayons sitting on my desk and I started carving on them, and it was wonderful. The wax was soft, easy to carve, and as soon as I made a cut, there was a facet to the crayon. It was nice and shiny, just like a gem.
NG: Michelangelo famously said that he merely liberated the statue that was already inside the marble. Do you liberate the tiny little people who live inside those crayons and pencil lead?
DC: Now I’m gonna hear a tiny voice that says, “Help me! Let me out!”
NG: Do you ever feel like grabbing a chain saw and going crazy on a tree stump?
DC: Yeah! I actually bought a mini chain saw, and it works like a real chain saw, except it’s a handheld grinder, so it’s meant to carve stumps or smaller wood objects. I don’t do taxidermy, but it also has a flesh remover.
NG: What does it feel like when someone buys a piece of your art?
DC: It’s amazing! At first it was disbelief. I was like, “Are you sure? You know this will break. And there’s no function to it!”
NG: Is this G. Gibson show a career highlight?
DC: I attack every new show with “this is going to be the best ever” energy.
NG: Are you a careful person?
DC: I’m meticulous when it comes to logistics. But in the ways of finished product or artwork or how this is going to affect my career, I’m reckless. I’m a drunk driver with my art.
NG: Let’s finish this by eating a crayon.
DC: Sure.
Nancy bites into “Tickle M Pink.” Diem bites into “Lavender.”
NG: Seems like it should taste a lot better.
DC: Maybe next time we’ll try the scented ones.
Nancy Guppy showcases Seattle artists on her television show, Art Zone (seattlechannel.org/artzone).
Watch an episode here:
Follow Us
A New Year of Influence
Seattle magazine’s Most Influential list kicks off 2026 with leaders across the city.
New year, new issue! As we kick off 2026, Seattle magazine is proud to present this year’s cohort of the Most Influential list, which showcases local leaders in politics, philanthropy, arts, hospitality, and business. Determined, creative, empathetic, humble, and bold are just a few of the words you’ll see describing them—each one has achieved great…
The Queen of the Seattle World’s Fair
With a fur coat and gold Cadillac, Gracie Hansen struck a figure. Her business savvy and whip-smart humor made her a star.
In 1960, a group of well-attired men from the Seattle World’s Fair planning committee gathered in a downtown office. With the fair only two years away, people were starting to pitch their business ideas and on this day, some lady wanted to meet with them to do the same. At the scheduled time, the door…
Cookies From Home
Seattle author Kat Lieu introduces a first-of-its-kind cookbook centered on Asian cookies.
Kat Lieu has built a career out of baking, storytelling, and standing up for what she believes in. A former doctor of physical therapy turned bestselling cookbook author, she’s based in Seattle, is the founder of the online community Subtle Asian Baking and is the author of Modern Asian Baking at Home, a book that…
Photo Essay: The Relief of the Moment
Words and photography by Nick Ward.
Photography tricks my ADHD brain into doing something borderline miraculous: It allows me to focus on exactly one thing at a time. When I press the shutter and hear that lovely little ka-chunk, the inner chatter winks out. I feel oddly connected to the moment by being outside it, observing through the frame instead of…