INFO
| Name | Unravelling Threads |
| Year | 2022 |
| Writer(s) | Lydia Ng; Michelle Tiang; Grace Ko; Sohadi Yes; Joseph Trinidad; Kelly Ye; Mehwish Mughal; Ziqian Yang; LeAnn Baigent; Rafiqah Abdullah; Dinithi Bowatte |
| Publisher | Te Papa (Edited by Mehwish Mughal, with support from Grace Gassin) |
| Type of Text | Zine |
| Artform | Zines |
ABOUT
Unravelling Threads is a free online zine that “tackles the marginalisation of Asian mental health in Aotearoa”. Edited by Aotearoa Pakistani researcher and activist Mehwish Mughal, the zine is part of a larger ongoing project, the Te Papa Asian Mental Health Project, which was driven by the urgent demand to address Asian mental health needs in Aotearoa. Mughal comments that “activists, advocates and scholars have been calling for attention to these issues for decades, yet their voices have been ignored”. In collaboration with Dr Grace Gassin, Curator for Asian New Zealand Histories at Te Papa, the project grew into a multimedia resource and archive to explore Asian mental health representation.
Unravelling Threads was released during Mental Health Week 2022. The zine features work from eleven Asian creatives across Aotearoa, centering on their personal experiences and perspectives of mental health. Mughal references the importance of platforming personal narratives in the zine as a way to amplify “Asian voices [which are] largely absent from the mainstream discourse of mental health”. Contributors were selected from an open call and the final pieces range from comics to personal essays. Common themes within the work include generational trauma, grief, feelings of isolation and neurodiversity. Discussions of sensitive topics such as suicide, ableism or family violence are present in the zine, further amplifying the genuine lived experiences of Asian individuals.
Tonally, the written work in Unravelling Threads borders on diaristic, illuminating personal memories and stories. The design aesthetic distinctly changes between each contributor, emphasising the diverse perspectives of mental health within the Asian community.
The zine’s title and cover art both reference yarn, threads, or string — a deliberate and important choice to “illustrate the complexity of perspectives and experiences of mental health for Asian communities”. Mughal refers to the zine as an act of “unravelling”, alluding both to the dismantling of systemic mental health barriers as well as highlighting the interweaving nuances of Asian mental health.
Unravelling Threads was officially launched at the 2022 Asian Aotearoa Arts Hui as part of the larger Te Papa Asian Mental Health Project.
