Born and raised in the fertile valley of the Jiwaka Province in Papua New Guinea, Jenny Sekum is a local indigenous artist who designs and creates Papuan blouses and bilum bags. Made traditionally and with locally sourced materials Jenny, who now resides in Kamkumung, was taught this skill in the village by her beloved father.

With a distinct perspective of the world around her, a desire to keep cultural customs and artistic techniques alive, Jenny has 20 years experience producing durable, intricately woven bilum bags and blouses.

In this ancient tropical environment where the majority of inhabitants live largely traditional lives in agricultural societies – Jenny has dedicated much of her time to her art – with some artefacts taking a few weeks to create.

A true master of her craft, she gleans inspiration from her family, her culture and the picturesque landscape around her that is Papua New Guinea. Jenny is driven not only by a passion for creative art and keeping her culture alive, but also by a desire to support others around her. Her goal is empower her family, educate her community and to share her art with the world.

Her handmade and designed Bilums are woven from hand, using needles made from broken umbrella pieces and often there are 6, 8 or 12 needles at one time. These bilums are made of love, skill and tradition, and take from 8 to 30 hours to make.