Learning From Raffia

There is a specific cadence to the sound of raffia being brushed. I was first introduced to it from the courtyard of
Kilubukila’s atelier on the peri-urban boundaries of Kinshasa, where a collective of artisans are carrying forward the traditions of their ancestors.

Holding a large conch shell between their fingers, the mamans brush out rough knots in the fibre, like combing a horse’s tail. With each sweep, a tempo emerges, punctuated by song, conversation, and laughter. Within this rhythm, I encountered a material practice in constant evolution – one where embodied knowledge and contemporary design collide.

Kilubukila is a Congolese design and research platform exploring how traditional Kuba raffia weaving can evolve
as a contemporary, living design institution.

Founded by Jess Kilubukila in 2016, the organisation operates beyond the boundaries of a conventional design studio
by synthesising local craft know-how, academic and cultural institutions, fair-wage employment, heritage
stewardship and material research into one institution.

“At first, I thought I was building a design studio,” Jess explains, “but, over time, I realised I was building the
conditions that allow a material culture to thrive.”

Full Story Available from Disegno Journal