A man with dark hair and facial hair wears a blue suit looking at the camera.

Jess Kilubukila

Founder
Kilubukila Cultural Projects

Democratic Republic of Congo

Jess Kilubukila is Founder of Kilubukila Cultural Projects (KCP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he leads initiatives dedicated to the preservation, documentation, and transmission of Kuba textile heritage. Through his work, he is developing the Kuba Living Collection, a preservation initiative bringing together historical textiles, research materials, process samples, and digital documentation of Kuba cultural knowledge, and has built collaborations with artisan communities, farmers, cultural institutions, and academic partners to advance conservation and research on raphia fiber systems. Previously, he has worked across interdisciplinary partnerships in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, and Brazil to strengthen research on Central African textile traditions and material culture. His work focuses on textile heritage and Indigenous knowledge systems, advancing long-term stewardship, research, and the preservation of cultural memory across the region.