Sculptural Woven and Fibre Art Rooted in Culture, Memory, and Modern Innovation
My practice as an interdisciplinary textile artist, weaver, and cultural storyteller is rooted in a fundamental truth: textiles are not merely objects, they are living archives of memory, identity, and intergenerational care. Shaped by my childhood in the coastal Visayan region of Leyte, Philippines, and my migration to South Australia in 1997, my work transforms displacement into a creative language of belonging and cross-cultural connection.
For over two decades, my creative journey has been deeply intertwined with my 23-year partnership with Ngarrindjeri master weaver Aunty Ellen Trevorrow. Through collaborative weaving, visual ethnography, and participatory co-design, my practice explores how traditional fiber techniques and sustainable regional materials can serve as vessels for Indigenous data sovereignty, cultural reclamation, and ecological stewardship. Bridging my background in Computer Science and Technology (PhD) with hands-on material arts, I view every woven line and sculptural garment as an act of relational accountability, protecting and renewing community knowledge.
Through SunRay Wearable Art, creativity becomes a direct catalyst for social innovation. Inspired by the resilience of children in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, I founded SunRay Literacy Charity to ensure that art directly serves human flourishing. Today, 20% of all sales from SunRay Wearable Art directly fund educational programs, sports mentorship (CSG Kapteens), and health initiatives for over 1,700 children and families in the Philippines.
When you engage with or support my work, you are doing more than acquiring a piece of wearable art or exhibiting a textile sculpture; you are entering a movement of hope, restoration, and dignity. I invite collectors, cultural institutions, and philanthropic partners to join us in keeping this light growing weaving opportunity, resilience, and educational empowerment into the lives of the next generation, one thread at a time.
Jelina’s portfolio showcases fiber art that moves, breathes, and speaks, each piece a living narrative of culture, sustainability, and renewal. Her works are not merely garments or objects but deliberate acts of circular design, shaped through patience, experimentation, and the natural behaviour of wool, fiber, and reclaimed materials. By transforming linen, hemp, silk, cotton, and recycled textiles into sculptural forms, Jelina invites viewers to reflect on the environmental cost of fast fashion and to imagine creative futures where art becomes a vessel for healing, empowerment, and ecological consciousness.
Copyright & Cultural Rights Statement
Jelina’s artworks and intellectual copyright, design, and embedded stories remain solely with the artist. Reproduction, reinterpretation, or use of any part of this work requires the artist’s written permission.