Multi-color woodcut artist Fred Mutebi has long used his artistry to convey the fragility of the human condition in Africa and to celebrate the natural beauty of Uganda, his homeland.

Using a vibrant array of colors, he creates woodcut prints that depict stories about critical social events in Uganda or that portray images indigenous to the Ugandan environment. The works are made even more authentic by his use of a special technique called the “progressive reduction method”, which prevents the production of more than ten woodcut prints of the same composition.

His development as an artist and as a teacher has grown to a level where he believes that it is paramount that art should be used to inform people about global challenges. He strongly feels that it is extremely important to reach as many ordinary people as possible with art that relates with their issues, especially the youth of Uganda.

He graduated from the School of Industrial and Fine Arts at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda in 1993.

Fulbright Scholar

As a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Fred Mutebi played an integral role in imparting an appreciation for this particular art form and a passion for the country called “the pearl of Africa”. From lecturing on the history of art in Uganda and the history of printmaking, to conducting woodcut printmaking workshops for art students, Mutebi captivates his audiences.

In addition to Christian Brothers University, Mutebi has also conducted workshops and lectures at the University of Colorado, Vanderbilt University, Fisk University, Memphis College of Art, Indiana University - Purdue University of Fort Wayne, Manatee Community College, Marian College, Dallas Baptist University, and the University of North Texas. He has also been the featured artist at the World Bank gallery in Washington DC.

In recognition of Mutebi's efforts to make significant strides toward improving the lives of children living in Uganda and as a true ambassador of the Fulbright program, the Office of Alumni Affairs selected him as the April 2008 State Alumni Member of the Month. To download the announcement, click here.

The Orange Period

Red, orange/yellow, and green are universally accepted colors to control traffic. By using the traffic signal as a metaphor, we can say that as citizens of the global village, we are all at a junction or crossroad at the orange/yellow light where we need to stop and decide which way to go. This is similar to what is happening in our world today, especially pertaining to the environment, society, poverty, science, and technology. It is our choice to follow the rules. We can take the green light and drive to safety or we can ignore the orange/yellow light and drive through the red light and crash head on with old problems and new emerging challenges in our complex global village.

For more than a decade, Mutebi's artistic expressions depicted the splendor of Uganda with vibrant colors and beautiful imagery. Unfortunately that splendor and beauty is now in peril. He has chosen to primarily use orange and yellow colors in his recent artwork to represent this danger. It is like the sun is scorching Mother Earth. There is less greenery, water levels are steadily falling, and the deserts are growing larger in Africa. Therefore he does not see any more cool colors.

His artistic expressions in this period depict what we all have in common. They include global warming, environmental issues, the HIV/AIDS scourge, the global economy, social unrest, and political challenges.  It is a warning that we should momentarily pause and think about the dangers and consequences of our poor practices and work together to find remedies. There are problems that need urgent solutions.

Visions of Uganda

Filmmaker Zara Sarzin featured Fred Mutebi in a documentary called "Visions of Uganda". This stunning documentary captures the inspiration behind his artwork and how the artist incorporates images and events in Uganda into his beautiful and colorful art. It also showcases the "progressive reduction method" of woodcut printmaking by following the process step-by-step. To watch the video, click here

Let Art Talk

Talking Murals

Fred Mutebi has developed a method of communicating to communities in Uganda called talking murals™. Important topics are discussed in a public forum and then translated into the words of the local language with corresponding themed pictures. Community members participate in the creation of the mural with their ideas, words, and artistic contributions. Talking murals™ have been created to commemorate many special events like The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, World Population Day, Ugandan Independence Day, and World AIDS Day. To learn more about talking murals™, click here.