Ceramic cup

Content warning: Please note that the following entry contains references to suicide.

This ceramic was created by Jinny Chin, a much-loved daughter and sister who died by suicide in June 2020.

Jinny was an artistic soul who enjoyed making drawing and painting from a young age. Due to her love of design, she chose to pursue Spatial Design at Massey University. After graduating from university, Jinny experienced first-hand the difficulties of life on the job market as a new graduate competing against more experienced workers for roles at architectural firms – this led to experiences of anxiety which then triggered a major depression.

In spite of her challenges, Jinny was pro-active in taking care of her mental health. She volunteered in the community and participated in outdoor activities such as surfing and diving, attended counselling sessions and took prescribed medication. She also continued to make art. As a New Zealand-born woman of ethnic Chinese heritage, Jinny - originally given the Chinese name Huei Jin by her parents - navigated the unique challenges that many women of similar background face.

According to Jinny’s mother, Lydia, this ceramic was created while Jinny was flatting in Raglan around 2019 as ‘a therapy to allow her to find expression and communication. This humble piece was her self-expression of mental realm and emotional life. We can hold her hand at any time.’ 

Right up until her death, Jinny was applying for jobs in the hopes of landing her dream job. However, after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jinny eventually lost hope. She died by suicide on 4 June 2020 just two weeks’ shy of her 30th birthday.

In the years following her death, Lydia says the many works of art her daughter created have comforted and helped her family through the grieving process.

‘There are thoughts we have that are too painful, complex, or overwhelming for words to hold. For me during this grieving process, whenever I hold this cup and my thumb nest into her thumb impression, it leaves a tangible feeling of holding her hand.’

Sources:
Correspondence and discussions with Lydia Ng, 2022.
Unravelling Threads zine, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2022.