Fred Mutebi

Fred Mutebi (b. 1967) in Buddu, Masaka District Uganda where he spent his childhood and early years. Studied primary in Mitete and Kijabwemi primary school before joining Masaka secondary school and later at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Art, in Makerere, qualifying in painting, graphics and printmaking with a Bachelor’s degree in Art in 1993. Following graduation, Mutebi established himself as a freelance painter and print maker while working as a part-time lecturer teaching printmaking techniques and methods.

Since 1995, Mutebi has participated in several solo and group exhibitions in different parts of the world including the Sida Nyuma (Forward ever backward never), 2015 Amsterdam among others; mainly promoting printmaking through presentations and workshops on techniques and methods earning me recognition due to his dedication to promote printmaking as a contemporary artistic practice. In 2003, Fred was awarded a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship by the US government in Memphis, Tennessee which he used to master his woodcut printmaking work, integrating his honed skills with the concepts of indigenous art within his practice. With the “multi-color progressive reduction method”, Mutebi uses a vibrant array of colors to create beautiful woodcut prints that depict stories about Africa or that portray images indigenous to the African environment particularly using bark cloth as a symbol for local artistry. It was during this fellowship that he spent one year teaching printmaking at the Christian Brothers University.

Mutebi’s artistic inquiry delves into the essence of what is considered indigenous and explores the interconnection between art and craft. His work seeks to locate the position of both art and the African individual within the broader global context. This exploration positions him as a community artist who addresses political, economic, and social themes through his art. His use of human figures on bark cloth canvases resonates with audiences, touching on social-political issues, wildlife conservation, and sustainability. Later, he decided to fully angle in community related art under the initiation Let Art Talk (LAT) which advocates for the preservation of traditional materials and the development of skills crucial for the socio-economic growth of my community. His art transcends the conventional “art for art’s sake” notion, aiming instead to catalyze community transformation. LAT has over the years calmed into a community based initiative to revitalize Uganda bark cloth, this by founding the Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association (BOTFA) in his home district of Bukomansimbi in 2010. The organization’s mission is to revitalize the cultivation of the Mutuba tree and promote the production and cultural significance of traditional bark cloth. The work exhibited here reflects over two decades of Mutebi’s engagement with bark cloth, community empowerment, environmental conservation, and cultural heritage embodying a profound spiritual synthesis, exploring themes of imagination, creation, identity, and the interconnectedness of humanity and nature.