Stay Grounded with Kristen Chiu

We're staying grounded with our friend, artist and designer Kristen Chiu, who launched her handmade jewelry and object brand, Thingamajig Objects, in 2020. Get to know her below and check out her pieces here.

PLEASURE GROUND: Can you tell us a little about how you started Thingamajig Objects and how it came together? 

KRISTEN: I started Thingamajig a couple years ago, and it began naturally as a space for me to play around and then became more of an homage to objects, what they mean to me, and the space they take up. I was trying to create just for myself at the time, and a year before that I had been making these very personal oracle cards that I didn’t intend on sharing with anyone. I was in this transitional point in my life, so the cards were more of a self growth tool for me. When I started making the jewelry and the objects, it just fell into place organically where the objects really related to the cards. So now, every object is sold with one of my oracle cards. I think in February of 2020 I started to push it as a brand more. For me, objects are both sentimental and ornamental--I’m also a borderline hoarder--because they hold a lot of memories and evoke a lot of feelings. Thingamajig was sort of just a play on all of that and an extension of my feelings towards creating and collecting objects. It’s culminated mostly into jewelry, but will hopefully expand into other wearables and collectables.

PG: That's incredible! The oracle card feature was actually one of my questions for this interview, so I’ll dive into that. Are you spiritual? I know oracle cards are frequently used in the spiritual community.

K: Yeah, I definitely am. I started connecting with this idea of intentionality. So intentionality is the main force behind all of the objects I’m creating. I took a super long break from making anything specifically during the pandemic, which I think a lot of people did, just because I didn’t know what my intention was anymore, and I feel like this is a project where I want everything I create to have a really clear intention. The oracle card is a representation of that concept of my specific intention when I’m making a specific object, and what it means.

PG: Totally. I felt a ton of external pressure from all directions pushing creatives to go into full production mode during lockdown.

K: Yeah, I think a lot of people were inspired, too, and a lot of people did feel like they had more time to create. I kept asking myself, ‘why am I not getting into all of this too?’ But then, you have to refind your footing and realize we’re in a pandemic. I’m trying to be gentler with myself regarding the pressure to create. The “not doing” is just as important as the doing. You’re thinking about what you’re going to do next, or collecting pieces, or waiting and it’s all important. That’s something we all need to remember.

PG: That’s so true! I remember listening to an interview years ago with Erykah Badu, and she referred to the “not doing” phase as “a downloading period where no ideas come out of you because everything is coming in.” And that really stuck with me. What message is most important that you want to convey to your consumer?

K: The main message that I want people to feel is the comfortability and allowance to take up space. I think that’s something that is really difficult for a lot of folks, but more specifically for anyone who identifies as a woman, LGBTQ+, and for BIPOC. As an Asian-American woman, it’s been a journey to feel comfortable taking up any amount of space. So I think there’s a lot that comes into play with how loud the pieces are. When you’re wearing one, it’s sort of like allowing yourself to take up space by design. It’s a hard time in general to feel like you can be seen, and I believe wearing things that make you feel comfortable doing that is really important, especially for more oppressed groups.

PG: That's so important. Has your bicoastal lifestyle between San Diego and New York City affected your approach to creating?

K: Yeah, growing up in San Diego definitely informed the way that I interact with nature and the elements. Water is really important to me which is why the Chinese character 水 or Shuǐ is stamped on the back of every piece to symbolize mutability. In New York, everything is so fast paced and people are constantly doing things, even during a pandemic... It’s been really great to be around that community where people are pushing you to do more and it can be such a collaborative place, too, but at the same time it’s a good reminder to revisit the intention and be like okay what am I doing and why am I doing this and what should I be doing now not just because other people are.  So I think the fast paced nature of New York actually reminds me to be slower, in a way. And that slowness is something ingrained in me from growing up in Southern California.

PG: That's an inspiring mindset. How do you see your brand in terms of the conversation about sustainability in fashion?

K: The clay that I use is Polymer clay, which is essentially plastic, and something I’ve had a lot of internal conflict about. Everything that I make is handmade and began as made to order- I don’t ever want to overbuy or overproduce anything. That, in a way, justifies the material use for me even if it’s not perfect. I feel like the conversation around sustainability tends to lean so much to being perfect, and I think that deters a lot of people from participating at all, especially in fashion. I’m still searching for ways to be more sustainable, and that’s okay.

PG: Thingamajig is such a magical, colorful, and playful world. Can you share some of your influences with us?

K: One of my overarching influence is artist Ana Mendieta. I also love this Chinese Designer named Susan Fang, she makes these beautiful beaded bags and accessories that remind me of dewdrops. There’s also a local designer from San Diego named Daniel and his brand is called Danse Haus. I love the way that he connects intentionality behind the things he makes.

PG: I love Ana Mendieta! What are some sustainable choices you’ve incorporated into your life?

K: I am very passionate about food waste as material and composting. It’s interesting to be able to utilize the entirety of a food. On a whole other tangent, I’m super into baking and have been vegan for 5 years. I’m always hesitant to admit that because I feel there is a lot of gatekeeping and it’s not an accessible lifestyle for everyone. It’s not the one thing that will stop Global Warming because of that, but it is something that exists in the sustainability world.

Images courtesy of Nicole Chan.