Artwork copyright Diem Chau. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021 (detail).

Artwork copyright Diem Chau. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Artwork copyright Diem Chau. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Billy (#159), 2013

Diem Chau
(Vietnamese-American, born 1979)

Location: Pioneer Elementary School, Shelton

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Billy (#159) is a tiny carving of a goat made from a flat carpenter's pencil by artist Diem Chau. She notes, “I consider myself an artist whose medium is stories, especially those passed on from grandmother to mothers, from father to sons… Embedded within them are connections to our past, our culture, and an occasional escape from reality.”

This artwork is part of a curated collection by Dawna Holloway in May 2021 at Pioneer Elementary, in Shelton, Western Washington. Holloway’s focus is the mystery of this world we find ourselves in together. Art can show us the world around us, as well as new ways of looking. Art is a tool and a language to express our vision of the world. These art examples remind us that art and its expression is always available to all of us.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Pioneer School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Diem Chau combines common materials and approaches to create delicate and unexpected artworks. Her work is minimalist and restrained, but also approachable and understandable. Chau believes deeply in the value of storytelling and myths. She notes, “Each story is a journey that gives us greater understanding of our past and our culture. Each story is a thread that connects us to each other, the storyteller holding one end and the audience the other.”

Chau was born in Vietnam. She came with her family to the U.S. as refugees in 1986 at age seven. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.