Ugandan Art and Culture

With over 50 ethnic groups, Uganda boasts of a unique cultural tapestry from which each group contributes to the nation's socioeconomic image. While Ugandan art today may be influenced by shared identities and general contemporaries, traditionally art-making mainly draws its inspirations from often under-documented practices among different ethnicities. From ancient Nyero rock paintings of Teso in Eastern Uganda to Karamojong woodcarving in the Northeast, to Bark-cloth art by the Baganda in Central Region, today Ugandan art and culture can hardly be described without mentioning drawing, painting, woodcarving and sewing or embroidery. However, a big question remains; what makes uniquely Ugandan?  Below we have curated examples of what we at ITSUGANDA are documenting as  authentic locally produced art in different mediums inspired by U symbols and patterns that represent a unified Ugandan cultural identity.