“How to use contemporary jewellery and metalwork to express the impact of smile depression on people and resonate with the wearer and the audience?”
Is “I’m fine” really “I’m fine”? Is this also a kind of help message? Xu Jiaxin has explored the topic of ‘smile depression’ in her project “I am fine”·Help me. Breaking the safe distance between traditional jewellery and the audience she creates her own jewellery language, drawn from her own experience, her jewellery acts as a carrier of emotion to tell stories to the audience.
Wrists full of “wounds” are wrapped in gauze. Is it healing the pain or a hidden vicious circle? Withered flowers loomed on the neck, was it suffocated by the invisible force, or was it courage to shake hands with the true self? Xu tells about her personal experience and understanding of smile depression, encouraging those who are experiencing these pains to pluck up the courage to face their true self, overcome the illness, and regain a new life. She says “I hope that more people will pay attention to and value mental health.”