Holding on

I aimed to make jewellery that would help people who do not want to forget their loved ones who have passed away; those who wish they could dwell on the loss of their family members to maintain a connection between them and the deceased. This connection is established through the traditional Chinese funeral ritual of burning, where offerings such as paper money and paper funeral offerings are passed on to the deceased. At the time of burning people pray for the refuge of the deceased or simply for the deceased to find peace in the world of the dead. It is a close bond between the departed and the living. There is a special festival in China called the Qingming Festival, where people visit cemeteries to pay respects to their dead relatives and ancestors and to clean their graves. So many elements of my work are based on the ritual of burning. This collection, a contemporary narrative on grief based on traditional Chinese mourning practices, was exhibited first in Sheffield, then London at New Designers 2022. It was then chosen by representatives of Diana Porter for a 3 month exhibition at their store in Bristol.