Karen Chau (born 1978) is an American artist and creator of the children's television series Ni Hao, Kai-Lan for Nickelodeon TV. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan is based on the childhood memories of Chau, growing up in a bicultural (Chinese-American) household. Chau graduated with a degree in digital art from the University of California, Irvine, in 2000. Her childhood as an 'ABC' (American-born Chinese) included an upbringing for several years in Plano, Texas, before her family settled in Los Angeles. [1] Chau is also a painter and sculptor whose 2d and 3d work was shown for the first time in New York City in 2010.[2] Her "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" series was nominated for an Emmy award in Spring of 2010. [3]