Our family has a history of moving around. First it was my Great-Grandparents abandoning their peaceful small town life to the city of Shanghai in China during the war. Then my Grandparents moved to the coldest region in China to build a new post-war life. Later, both of my parents left their birth places and settled in Beijing, where I spent 12 years of my childhood before flying all the way to the coast of California. Just when I thought this would be the place to grow old, I found myself back in Asia. I have been residing in Hong Kong with my husband and daughter for the past decade, and recently, a lovely chubby cat has been added to the family. In the back of my head, I secretly speculate that I may be somewhere new again in the next decade.

So my life has been filled with changes and adaptations, non-stop. It has been an exciting journey, until everything came to a stop in 2019 when the Covid-19 pandemic happened. Travelling stopped in Hong Kong, tourists disappeared, restaurants closed. The bustling city known for its colourful nightlife became uncomfortably quiet.

With more time at home, I had the opportunity to pick up an old love: pottery. And it hasn't stopped since then. I have always remembered the pieces I made in a hand-built ceramic class in college. The process of turning a piece of clay into something wonderful and useful is still joyful for me.

So this is how Atelier JinJin is created, a place where I showcase my journey in making pots, mainly wheel-thrown. Each piece is made with both functionality and aesthetics in mind. Through these works, I try to express a bit of me and hopefully, they also bring you some joy.