Sweet Sculptures

Watch Amaury Guichon in action, and there’s no doubt he’s an artist. He sculpts, chisels, and paints. But Guichon isn’t working with a material like wood or clay. He does it all with chocolate! Guichon is a pastry chef and chocolatier based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His chocolate sculptures are 100% edible—even the paint! They include a 550-pound velociraptor, an 8-foot-tall giraffe, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Guichon grew up in the mountains of southeastern France. He started his culinary career at age 14, spending two years as an apprentice learning to make desserts. “That’s where I discovered the amazing possibilities of chocolate,” he says. Today Guichon runs his own pastry academy in Las Vegas. He trains other chefs and shares his chocolate sculptures with more than 50 million followers on social media.

Amaury Guichon is an artist. He paints, sculpts, and chisels. But he isn’t working with a material like wood or clay. He does it all with chocolate!

Guichon is a pastry chef and chocolate maker. He’s based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His chocolate sculptures are 100% edible—even the paint! He’s made a 550-pound velociraptor and an 8-foot-tall giraffe. He even made a chocolate model of the Eiffel Tower!

Guichon grew up in France. He started making desserts when he was 14. To learn more, he spent two years training with a professional pastry chef. “That’s where I discovered the amazing possibilities of chocolate,” he says. Today Guichon runs his own pastry school in Las Vegas. He trains other chefs and shares his chocolate sculptures on social media. More than 50 million people watch his videos.

In his viral videos, Guichon works with chocolate in various forms: as a moldable putty, a silky brown liquid, and a sleek and shiny solid. Carefully controlling the temperature of each form is key to Guichon’s success. Chocolate is harder when cool and softer when warm—and even the heat of a chocolatier’s hands can start melting it. “My hands used to be so warm that I had to put them on dry ice packs to cool them down,” Guichon says.

When starting a new sculpture, he melts dark chocolate and pours it into molds to create the basic structures. Dark chocolate contains a high proportion of cocoa butter, which makes it sturdier once it cools. After the dark chocolate sets overnight, Guichon covers it with milk chocolate. This softer chocolate is easier to sculpt, shape, and carve with intricate details.

Guichon has made more than 100 chocolate sculptures so far. Many are on display at his pastry academy, where they’re stored away from sunlight and moisture. “Chocolate is a difficult medium to work with,” he says. “But it’s the complexity and beauty of it that makes this job so unique.”

Guichon works with chocolate in several forms. It can be a soft putty, a smooth liquid, or a hard and shiny solid. No matter what, Guichon needs to pay close attention to the temperature. Chocolate is harder when it’s cool and softer when it’s warm. Even the heat of a person’s hands can start melting it! “My hands used to be so warm that I had to put them on dry ice packs to cool them down,” says Guichon.

Guichon melts dark chocolate to start a new sculpture. Then he pours it into molds. Dark chocolate contains a lot of cocoa butter. This makes it sturdy once it cools. The dark chocolate sets into a strong structure overnight. Then Guichon covers it with milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is much softer than dark chocolate. That makes it easier to sculpt and carve.

Guichon has made more than 100 chocolate sculptures. Many are on display at his pastry school. They need to be stored away from sunlight and moisture. “Chocolate is a difficult medium to work with,” says Guichon. “But it’s the complexity and beauty of it that makes this job so unique.”