Fred Mutebi uses the “progressive reduction method” of woodcut printmaking. The image is meticulously carved onto a wood plate, rolled with ink, and then registered onto a surface. The process is repeated five to six times on the same 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 also 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.
Keep in mind that this process requires the artist to think in reverse during the carving stages and to think in layers as the colors are applied during each stage. These complex issues must all be predetermined in the mind of the artist.
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Fred Mutebi 