Dallas artist explores memory, hardship in a Crow Museum exhibit – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Memory lives in the familiar, in the sound of rain falling on a weeping willow tree, and in treasured photographs of departed family members. For artist Du Chau, those memories are the foundation of his work.

“They are the backbones for the whole family,” Chau said.

Chau is tracing the threads of memory in his first solo exhibition at the Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas. Through porcelain sculptures and piano wire installations, he reflects on family, hardship and resilience.

“I don’t want that memory to be forgotten,” Chau said.

Many of the pieces are inspired by moments from Chau’s childhood and family history.

“When you go through life with challenge, you can remember vividly those memory like having enough food on the table,” Chau said.

Chau brings those memories to life using porcelain and piano wire. One piece, centered on the Lunar New Year, reflects both joy and struggle.

“The first New Year is to celebrate a memory with mom,” Chau said. “If you look closely, I use crack as a way to talk about that happiness at the same time as the hardship in life.”

Chau also reflects on the lasting impact of war and survival.

“Many people have forgotten war is hell,” Chau said. “When people say what is heaven and hell, I don’t know. For me right now, heaven is here.”

Chau’s roots are in Vietnam, but art helped him blossom in Dallas.

“Because art is a universal language, you can watch, you can look and you can just do with your hands,” Chau said.

Caroline Kim, director of development at the Crow Museum of Asian Art, said Chau’s work connects with audiences because of its deeply personal themes.

“All of these objects speak from such a personal time in his life and yet they are so relatable to anyone,” Kim said.

Chau’s work is part of the museum’s Texas Ties series.

By day, Chau works as a pathologist at a local hospital. By night, he creates art rooted in memory and emotion.

“It really speaks to the volumes of talent that we have coming out of Texas, and it’s important that we continue to keep nourishing and encouraging that,” Kim said.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.