MEDIA STATEMENT
03/06/2025
AMCHAM T&T mourns the passing of Zinnia Li Cheewah – a visionary artist and powerful voice in Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural landscape.
Zinnia’s creativity and bold spirit were instrumental in AMCHAM T&T’s “Take D Jab Jab” Vaccine Drive during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I gave her an idea, and she brought it to life, creating the graphic for what became a campaign that we hope saved some lives during that difficult time,” said Nirad Tewarie, AMCHAM T&T CEO.
“Trying to bring some happiness in a time of such pain, Zinnia volunteered to do a mural outside the NAPA vaccination centre that was being run by the private sector organisations. I would like to think that she felt like part of the team by that point. Even though work was hard to come by she initially decided to do it as her contribution to the effort,” Tewarie reminisced. Her mural, originally displayed at the NAPA Vaccination Site, was later installed in the Ministry of Education’s entrance lobby and remains a lasting symbol of resilience, hope, and national unity.
Tewarie went on to say, “Inspired by her creativity, AMCHAM T&T partnered with the Ministry of Education and First Citizens Bank to launch the Mural in Schools Project in 2022, bringing community-focused art and Zinnia’s spirit of expression to twenty-seven (27) schools nationwide. It was fantastic and if Zinnia didn’t do that first mural, we would not now have murals in over two dozen schools across the country!”
“I first met her as Darren in 2014 when I was at TTCSI and we hosted a Street Arts Festival. We got a wonderful graffiti bus for PTSC out of that, and we were hoping it would be used for the POS routes, but sadly it wasn’t. However, the artistic versatility was evident through her work as an actor and tattoo artist. I particularly was moved by her role as Putao in “God Loves A Fighter”. I was such a fan that I asked her to do my tattoo in honour of my cousin who committed suicide in 2021,” Tewarie shared.
“Zinnia was a rare talent – fiercely creative, deeply authentic, and incredibly generous with her gifts. Her spirit was infectious, her art unique and hopeful, and her authenticity, inspiring,” said Tewarie. “Her life, lived boldly and truthfully, will continue to impact us all. All of us hope that she now finds the peace that eluded her in this world.”
AMCHAM T&T honours Zinnia’s legacy and extend our deepest condolences to her family, children, friends, and the artistic community.
END.
Zinnia Li Cheewah (centre) at the mural handover ceremony to the Ministry of Education in 2021 with former Minister of Education, Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Nirad Tewarie (CEO | AMCHAM T&T) and Greer Quan (former Director | AMCHAM T&T)