About | Nodaflo Crafts

David Noro

Born and raised in the mountainous Okapa district of the Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, David Noro is a creative eco-conscious artist who uses unwanted recyclable materials to create art.

With a difficult start in life, at only 20 years old David has been in and out of prison largely due to petty crime. Whilst in prison, David started learning art and sharing ideas with his fellow prisoners. This skill is borne from a project which engages some prisoners and generally the product is returned to family and friends who have fed or provided comfort. It is important to note that most prisoners are interred for generally opportunistic crimes, necessitated in many instance by the need to live.

Realizing he has limited resources, David uses plastics and things such as biscuit packets to create bags, belts, jewellery, mats and shopping baskets. These resources are used biscuit-wrappers, other plastic and take hours of collecting from the street, rubbish bins, washing and inspected for colour and usage. Making one Bilum or Bag can take up to 200 hours.

With a distinct perspective of the world around him, and a desire to use repurposed materials to show off his artistic flare, David works hard at his craft.

His aim is to overcome the challenges he faces, gain a formal education and use his art to support himself and his family. He is also planning a project with the LAE Buimo Prison, to encourage and employ prisoners to make these products where they can earn income and assist their family whilst interred.