Ugandan artist Fred 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.
He is a master of the “multi-color progressive reduction method” of woodcut printmaking. The image is meticulously carved onto a wood plate, rolled with colored ink, and then registered onto a surface. The process is repeated five to six times on the same wood plate with different colors to complete the final image. At each stage, the colors transition from lightest to darkest. This particular technique of woodcut printmaking destroys the wood plate in the process. Carefully carved images and patterns are eventually removed in later stages to acquire the desired final print. The plate can never be used again.
Mutebi’s mastery of woodcut printmaking has earned him global acclaim and recognition. His artwork has been featured in exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Japan, and the United States.
As an artist and teacher, 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 people as possible with art that relates with their issues, especially the youth of the world.
Mutebi is very active in rural development in Uganda. Proceeds from the sales of his artwork are used to fund several community based initiatives.
He is a graduate of the Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Arts at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Fred Mutebi 