What metaphors and similes have had to encounter since you were just a kid?



I have had to use so many of these similes and metaphors and so many of them have actually been used on me, the ones that i have used on other people include the following;


Embookya' this was used by all of my class mates when we wanted to refer to porridge that was continually served hot, the 'hot', part in this word is 'okya' which is derived from the word 'yokya' which means hot. we used this word so much because of the fact that we used to have the 'embookya' on a daily basis.


The other word was 'Esuuti', we used this to refer to a meal of posho and beans.We used to have porridge in the morning and posho for lunch and in the evening we could have both, since putting on a suits have something to do with marching, we conjugated that word 'suit' to 'esuuti' to mean posho and beans.


Kibwebwenyi; i always used this word with an aim of refering to someone who showed some signs of being a glutton. the other users of the same word intended to make the gluttons improve on their eating habbits since the word actually sounded wild and abusive. it was derived from the Ugandan bed time stories and again in these stories it was meant to make kids avoid getting poor eating manners.


The other word was 'Ekijankunene'; this was normally used to refer to animals and male private parts. I personally used it only when someone annoyed me cause it always made me feel like it was so huge a word and whenever i used it, it made me feel like i had taken a huge weight off of my back, it was really insulting.

embooko yomuwala, i have always used this with an aim of rendering a lady or girl beautiful, literally embooko has a supposed meaning which is a stick or a cane and muwala is a girl so we used to combine these two to refer to beauty but this wasnt and isnt in any way an insult though of-course some ladies wouldn't want to here anything like that from anyone in reference to themselves.


UGANDAN ART


Uganda, on the equator and surrounded by the great lakes of central Africa, is one of the last parts of the continent to be reached by outsiders. Arab traders in search of slaves and ivory arrive in the 1840s, soon followed by two British explorers. these people actually did too much in the improvement of Ugandan art and because of them and the initial arts of Uganda, the two were combined to get what we have today as Ugandan art,

Uganda has a long history of art education. Under the British as a Protectorate, it was seen as being of less strategic and this allowed the establishment of art as a school subject. Art was only taught in white-only schools
Ugandan art is characterized by numerous arts and these include; sculpture, fashion, design, ceramics, drawing, weaving, and so many others.
Uganda has produced a host of famous artists in recent generations, despite experiencing a political roller coaster and huge social upheaval. Art was extended to degree level through the efforts of Margaret Trowell, who founded the Fine Art school at Makerere University in Kampala. Her courses emphasized the importance of building on existing artistic practices, but introduced new techniques such as silkscreen printing. Early students at the Margaret Trowell Fine Art School were the sculptor Francis Nnaggenda, a Kenyan, and the painter Sam Ntiro from Tanzania.
Exhibitions of outstanding students' work were held in prestigious London galleries. Some went on the study at London art schools or the Royal Academy. Many such students became lecturers at the school and helped nurture the talents of younger artists.The Fine Art school miraculously stayed open throughout this dreadful time of Idi Amin Dada.
Current resident artists and lecturers include the sculptors Lilian Nabulime and Rose Kirumira and painters Godfrey Banadda and Paul Lubowa. Their work has been featured in definitive texts on African art such as 'Contemporary African Art' by Sidney Littlefield Kasfir, and also in ground-breaking exhibitions such as 'Seven Stories of Modern Art in Africa' (1995-6, London, Sweden and New York). Bark cloth
Before Arab traders brought cotton into the country, there had been used fibres of the banana plant or the bark of the Mutuba fig-tree (Ficus natalensis).
Bark cloth(Olubugo)- it has its origin in Uganda and is a purely vegetable fibre. No cloth is like any other cloth - there definitely is a huge selection of the most natural colours from brown to different colourings.One of the finest materials from which Ugandan artists produce their handicraft is bark cloth, a fibrous if coarse material scraped off a fig tree. Lubugo as it is called in Luganda is made from the bark of a fig tree after being soaked in water for a few days before artisans hammer it out with a toothed mallet into a fabric. The fabric comes out in various browns, some of a very rich dark brown colour. Bark cloths hold a high place in many rituals in the kingdoms of Buganda and Bunyoro where princes and princesses were obliged to wear them. Yards of it, for are used to screen or drape the walls of shrines and god's homes. Kings wear them occasionally for ceremonies.


The blacksmith, whose handling the fire creates magic ideas, very often also assumes the role of a priest or the creator of ritual figures.

Normally, however, he was a craftsman who worked iron and who was responsible for the creation of daily articles, utensils, tools, and arms: spears, pastoral sticks, catapults (shotguns), arrowheads, knives, hoes, axes, bowls and so on.
Extraordinary masters of their craft had the honour to design and create staff for chiefs, clan chiefs and the king, with this articles made from iron being embellished with special ornaments and decorations. Catapults that are used to shoot at birds with stones(shotguns) and pastoral sticks were produced by the nomads especially in northern Uganda.


Pottery;
There are various types of pottery in Uganda with most of the pots and earthenware saucers being made of clay, and dark soil. Skilled potters slurp the clay and roll it in their hands as they carve products out, without using a kick wheel. Many tribes use clay to make smoking pipes, pots for carrying water and cooking purposes. The kick wheel is normally used in places with advanced technology for example in ceramics studios.


Basketry
Elephant grass and palm leaves provide for the raw material used for mats, baskets, and also woven bee baskets; they are also used to build traps for wild animals. Today also hand bags and wall hangings are made for decorative purposes.

There are several types of baskets made in Uganda, most of these items are finely and fancifully coloured with dye solutions to create intricate patterns and designs, which constitute the products of skilled craftsmen and women.

The Batooro (Toro) and Bahima from Ankole (Nkole) of western Uganda produce fine, little cylindrical baskets (endiiro) in which millet bread is served and kept hot. In Buganda, however, the baskets are bigger, and coffee beans, fruits and even bottle beer are often served in these. At modern kiganda weddings, men and women dressed up in kanzu and boding line up with the baskets (bibbo) as they approach the bride's home on the introduction (courtship).
Nicely hand-woven beer basket made from grass. These items are very scarce and absolutely unique.



Sculptures and masks; Figures and masks, made from wood for ritual purposes, as well as other daily articles in ebony and mahagony wood. Tobacco pipes have been developed into mass products.


The Material - Processing and colours

- Wood was processed by means of an ax with a transverse ax. It was either polished with soot or fatty mixtures or treated with the juice from roots and leaves. Subsequently, it was put in a slurry bath.
- Clay was formed by hand, without the help of a potter's wheel. The clay sculptures from Makerere in Uganda are especially famous.
- Colours were dominating, especially white, black, and red. These are colours of mineral, animal and vegetable origin.
- White (supernatural powers, danger and death) - Black (earth) - Red (energy)




AMERICA




I havent really been to this place but i have heard a lot about it and the following are some of the stories the have crossed my paths;


first and foremost, America is talked about as a country that has too much to do with the worshipping of the devil, this is done in numerous ways and one of these is through the 'Illuminati', this is defined as a secret orginazation of the most powerful and influential elite in the world.Its also looked at as something, 'ignorant people' deny exists. They are also looked at as rulers of this realm and many others like it. They are completely unseen, highly influential and possibly dangerous


The all-seeing eye is the elite's favorite symbol. It represents the eye of Lucifer, seeing all and is usually atop a pyramid, the symbol for a top-down command and control system of compartmentalization.They go back for centuries and maintain the same bloodlines.They set up the council on foreign relations. the symbols of the illuminati are reflected in so many of the day to day materials and lives of the americans.


This is evident in the following;
The all-seeing-eye on the dollar bill, which Americans see every time they make a cash transaction. Below the illuminati pyramid/eye symbol are the words: "Novus Ordo Seclorum," which can be translated as: ' A new order of the ages" This was CBS's original logo - it's no stretch to see the eye, this logo has changed over time, but the eye has remained the central theme. Apple Corporation symbol is Satanic, mocking the forbidden fruit which Adam and Eve ate.


so my view of america is that its more of a devil controlled country than it is for anything else since evil signs are manifested in most anything.

Group 6 :
* maria florence <mariaflorence768@gmail.com>
* Bonyo Brian (brianobonyo@yahoo.com)
* Heather Rayius (HLR5096@psu.edu)
* Ulyssa Martinez (UBM5000@psu.edu)
* Katherine Deandrea (KMD338@psu.edu)
* Samantha Bachman (SMB5651@psu.edu)

Revision to Group 6 :
* Patrick Nsubuga
* maria florence
* Bonyo Brian (brianobonyo@yahoo.com)
* Heather Rayius (HLR5096@psu.edu)
* Ulyssa Martinez (UBM5000@psu.edu)
* Katherine Deandrea (KMD338@psu.edu)
* Samantha Bachman (SMB5651@psu.edu)

Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2011

prior to my previous discussion i though it to be rational that as artists we need to position ourselves as problem solvers to be able to tackle global challenges and the question is how? this however leads to what i intend to discuss with my friends today the painting entitled healing dance is executed in a such way that it touches the soul of the viewer and is so engaging with a high level of emotional qualities.such piece of work is highly receptive and has it strings attached to the society in a sense that it tends to address human psychological feelings.its not just a representation of something but it calls for individual scrutiny to explore its intrinsic values which can help to solve a psychological problem hence healing the hurt souls in fact me call it a balanced diet for the souls.thus i consider every work of art that involves and engages the viewer as the most successful.please lets position our selves as problem solvers to foster an optimistic society as we lead the trend to its apogee.please find attached the painting i was discussing about.

hullo karen, My name is Nabunjo Florence i use maria Florence on the email,
am an art student at maker ere university in Uganda,

My understanding about Uganda art

Ugandan art and culture is done in different aspects, its done in
photography painting,  fashoin,weaving, print making, story telling, and
also visual drawing. Here at school of art we do different types of art
like weaving, painting in this we have water and oil painting, photography,
sculpture and other more. Here at MTSIFA students are usually told to do
work in relation to the mood or concept.

Art and craft are part of our culture. Crafts have been developed
through the traditions of the people. Art and craft are a result of the
feelings of the people responding to a variety of historical events and
influences and the environment in a most spontaneous manner. Art in Uganda
is like an expression that is done by people with love, how they feel and
also according to their past experience. Here people make baskets, weaving
and painting according to their feeling. for-example, the cooking stones
that they use in Uganda were done in away that they pick three big stone
place them at different angles thus making a triangle this is where they
would place the fire wood put up the fire then cook, but according to
culture one wasn't supposed to sit on theses cooking stone because they
usually said that if you sit on them then you would not grow tall. this
avoid people from sitting on them yet in really sense they just didn't want
kids to sit on those stones cause in most cases they would be hot that
means they would burn them so this shows that the Ugandans hand art in
putting up these cooking stones and added culture to it as written above.

Dance and drama is one aspect that has been crucial in the lifestyles
of all tribes in Uganda in terms of art and culture . There was music for
every social function and aspect of life and generations and there were
drams that were made for every sound they wanted to [3 artworks sent to group]

Hello my group members,

My name is Nakalembe Grace or you can call me Gracielah Mwesigwa, an art student of Makerere University in Uganda.

I think Ugandan art is very wide, it involves weaving, fashion design,
painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, graphics and others. Basically
I will talk about all of them briefly starting with what I do; weaving;
this involves different types of weaves that is plain weaves, tapestry,
scarf weaving, macrame, basketry and jewelry making. Creating a weave is
like creating a fabric or a textile and it can either be designed or plain.
With macrame you can create different products like fruit holders, fabrics,
necklaces, bracelets, name it.

Fashion design in Uganda is the most growing art now. It involves getting
an idea, an inspiration, put that idea on paper and then come up with [images sent to group]

more so on my previous discussion it links me to nother fallacy commonly believed that america is aland of milk and honey but big ups to the international media that reveals to us that indeed they also have problems to battle with ranging from poverty unemployment and many others.true that the levels may not match since we have yardsticks of the least developed countries below the poverty line and ofcourse more developed countries but still the gheast of the matter still remains that we indeed face the same challenges which actually may require global partnership solve them.thats why in beginning i clearly position my self as an advocate for sharing knowledge and experience as a tool to unlock all the social problems.  

My mum always tells me ''akwata empola atukawala'' it's a ''luganda'' work meaning patience pays, or when your patient with whatever work your given you will be successful, or take your time while doing your work then you will have good results.she always tells me this quote because i rush whatever work am given and the results are not her expectations.this term has kept me going in everything i do, mostly my art works were i try to be patient,take my time and the results are perfect. i really appreciate this quote because at the end of each day it creates wonders in my work.


According to my perception Ugandan art is divided into two categories, there are Ugandans who pursue as education that is at diploma, degree level,masters with the importance of building on existing artistic practices and new techniques such as silkscreen printing. And there are those who are not even aware there are doing art since to them it's culture/tradition. Education in Uganda is very expensive and can be afforded by are few individuals.The illiterates are practicing art unknowingly since to them it's culture/tradition. These individuals take it as a result of feelings of people responding to a variety of the historical events and influences of the environment.they mostly do crafts according to the environment and necessities of the daily life.these later turn into skills and techniques that can be past down from generation to generation and they later turn into there source of income.
Generally, on the domestic and cultural level of Ugandan crafts can be identified under the following categories: gourd vessels and wood vessels for food and drinks; pottery; pipes; basketry; stools; miscellaneous household objects; clothing and adornments; skins and bark cloth; tails and aprons; belts and girdles; hair dressing; headdresses and facial ornaments; neck, arm and leg ornaments shields, spears, bows and arrows; swords, dancing weapons; hunting knives; finger knives and wrist knives; hunting gear and sound instruments.
These crafts are done differently by different nationalities.For example basketry, the large field and storage baskets used in Teso are made using wicker work with heavy materials. Wicker work baskets are also common among the Basoga, Banyoro, Bahuutu and Acholi and these are some of the tribes we have in Uganda.There is also pottery which is done by the Batooro, Basonga, Lango and Baganda.
Making musical instruments like drums, fiddles involved men. Even the use and manipulation of musical instruments such as drums and fiddles was strictly meant over men alone. Bark cloth-making and related crafts are also common mostly in Bantu regions. Traditionally, the bark cloth was purposely made to be used as burial shrouds, bedding and clothing; and carpeting the floor of the kings' palaces, especially in Buganda, Toro and Bunyoro the bark cloth was replaced by cotton and other clothing materials,Blacksmiths made cutting tools, the majority of which were the spears and arrows.Amulets, necklaces or beads, arm and leg ornaments, bracelets, rings, and headdresses were made by the Karimojong.
Since these techniques have been passed on from generation to generation people have adapted these skills and produced better work for sale,and the main idea is to preserve and create jobs for local people especially women to exploit the huge market.

From: kebirungi marthar
Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:05:20 -0500 (EST)

i am so very interested in learning about all the different cultures. but my main interest as an artist is Photography. i love photography so much because like the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words." i can always express myself in terms of my work especially in photography. of late i have an obsession for documentaries and also fine art photography.
i am looking forward to exchanging as many ideas as i can. but for starters, i have looked into the different documentaries which hav so far been released in Uganda. though many of them are sad, they always portray a message to the public.

documentaryheaven.com/‹uganda's-silent-war, is a web page where you can view documentaries.

Shocking documentary about child soldiers in Uganda, Africa. Winner of the Robert F Kennedy Journalism Award, in HD.

Child abuse. Rape. Torture. Abduction. Death. They are the very stuff of nightmares. In Northern Uganda, though, they are not the groundless fears of imaginative children. Here the nightmare is real.

Every night, 7 and 8 years old kids can be abducted by rebel soldiers. Once taken, the little boys may be forced to fight, burn their village houses and even kill their own parents or siblings. The little girls may be raped and forced to serve as "wives" to the rebels until they die or escape.

Even if they make it back to freedom, though, the girls must battle their psychological and physical damage, and may well be infected with AIDS. If the boys escape, they must battle their memories: a mixture of fear and, even worse, unspeakable guilt at the atrocities they participated in.

there are more documentaries like Dancing through the Pain, Diamonds in the Rough, Essuubi: Growing up with Hope. Essuubi is a luganda word meaning "Hope". there are so many other documentaries that portray the Uganda we are living in today but these are most catching, because they will show you all the things that happened and caused alot of suffering to the Ugandan children.

but it is not all about sadness because Uganda is also a very Joyful country to be in. i will be posting more on the documentaries that have caught my eye. hope u can also enjoy them

Uganda's Silent War, 9.7 out of 10 based on 14 ratings

METAPHORS

Uganda in Buganda region interpretation
As a young child raised from the village way far from the capital
Kampala.I grew up hearing the grown ups mentions a number of Metaphors
though right now I am no longer leaving in the village but still a
number of Metaphors recalls in my memory.
Metaphors used in my country Uganda include,
1-Akaja obunaku kemanya { meaning , he who grows up
as a poor person takes much care}, knows his or her back ground to to
fly with rich people yet he is not there yet. He or she should wait
and take step by not just flying with eagles to show off yet he is
nothing .My grand parents used to tell me this metaphor as a young boy
every day I was going to school so that it keep in my mind that i
should not carry with me an image which is not mine to impress others.
This helped me out a lot to concentrate and did read my notes
,researched and passed well in both lower high school and higher high
school which we refer as A'Level in Uganda.
2-konaweka to kalinda kusaba taka { mean, He who you
will get up to carry on your back you should not wait to see him or
her get dirty before you put him or her on your back .This means that
you better take care of some one when time is still there before he or
she gets in a moment where you can't do any thing to get him up .You
should take care mostly if at all he was your child so that she or he
does not grow up and starts to regulate saying you never took care and
saw him messing up. It becomes a burden to you too, such people you
can't welcome them in your homes maybe they are druggies now and et
you saw them starting to get addicted .You might be be having a good
place right now to get them work but they can't because

3-kula zikulabe enaku { you grow up and face the world }

4-Eliso lwo omukulu ewadugala we walaba { The old person's eye ,it
sees where only the dirt is }
5-Gwo manyi enfumita to mulinda galula { He or she you know very
well, you never wait for him t get prepared before you do }

UGANDA'S ART TODAY

Uganda has for a long time been developing in the industry of art.Few
years back many people never understood the role and beauty of art
but as for now and time as it goes many eyes are opened to the beauty
and love of art starting from the crafts which are made mostly by self
taught artists in groups like Obama beads a group of women in Northan
Uganda who makes beads out of magazine papers

" Our mission is to provide a living wage to women in Uganda
while having them create artistic and useful souvenirs of Barack
Obama's historic 2008 campaign." Obama Beads .
Other crafts groups include beads for life which has made beads that
are mostly sold to tourists and yet an income for a living for many
women in the village of Gulu the war distracted region .
Along side crafts , a number of professional artist have come on board
to spice up the art culture in Uganda in a much more educative way
with a visual judgment, critical analysis and so on.These
professional artists include Maria Naita, Pro Georgia Keyune, Rose
Kilumira and so many. Among these ones, they have plaied a big role in
changing the our look of art in the field of sculopture casting
today.Number of young generations have passed through their hands like
Laira, Bwambare, kamoga all one students at Makerere university school
of art.Their role as professional sculptors in casting has motivated
and passed out a lot of information to the community out there. "



MY VIEW OF AMERICA

My own vies of how I look at America is both Positive and negative .I
have grown up knowing America as the very most power full nation the
world ever had .From scratch when it was no where to now when every
nations are looking at it as their last resort for refuge .Its the
only country I have learnt to know that ever never fails to show up
incase the situation is getting bad in other countries despite the
fact that them selves in America not every one is rich so that give
away the access.

If it comes to the moments of peace keeping, I have come to learn
that America is the only country that first spear head the other big 8
to go restore peace in the peaceful ton countries. We've seen her in
many countries where she has spear headed the peace restoration like
in Liberia, Libya, Afghanistan.

However , views have come on table in Africa mostly through the
politicians that America would show care under the blanket of wanting
to control you indirectly a saying that is on board that when the
white man was leaving Africa and the rest of those countries she
colonised ,she left from the front door and that now she is coming
back using the back door. This all means that America is trying to
collonise those other states which Her self never got the opportunity
to colonise a fact that she was also being collonised by the British
.Comes gives you chucks of money under the window of helping yet she
wasn't more bigger than that inn returns. This has how ever been
stories on many mouths of opposing politicians…..my view on this is
not yet put down clearly on how I would interpret it as we are really
convinced that this is what happens.

On my side I look at America as a country that would love to see other
nations go high from step to step not all the time being in wars and
corruption, dictatorship and so much more.

Mulondo Patrick

Hello thanks for the message that I received and for adding me into the group, I would like to share my experience with you about Ugandan art, metaphors that I have grown hearing from different people and also making some collaborative art pieces (Uganda-us Art collaboration).

MY UNDERSTANDING OF UGANDAN ART

For over the years that have past, Uganda has been practicing Art and has had a long history of formal art education .
Uganda under British colonial rule as a protectorate it was seen as being less strategic importance and this led to the establishment of art as a school subject.
Art was extended to degree level through the efforts of Margaret Trowel who founded the fine art school at Makerere university in Kampala and her efforts emphasized

the importance of building on existing artistic practices but introduced new techniques such as screen printing.
At the moment we are having artists such as Banadda Godfrey and one of his paintings is called (Rococo women) as attached above.

Many artists here in Uganda have actually exploited more in abstraction than any other form of art like in painting techniques such as cubism,expressionism,naturalism among others have not been practiced by students.

When I was still in high school, we used to draw in realism and its what I was used to,but when I reached the university,the situation changed I had to practice abstraction
because its in abstraction that a student can bring in new ideas in realism nothing new that can be brought in.
We shall come together to make a collaborative art piece and I would like it to be in abstract form.


MY METAPHORS
When I was still a kid, my father used to tell me that (obutasoma buluma bukulu) which means that *if you do not study, it will hut you in the future*, so this made me to study very hard with the zeal in order not to suffer in my adulthood and in fact it has worked for me because right now am at the university.
(HTTP/en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/education in Uganda)

A saying that I grew hearing from people is that it is not good to come out of the house at night when it is raining because ghosts and spirits seek for shade also when it is raining so when they happen to land on you, you might end up losing your life or probably becoming one of them, so this made me to fear walking out at night when it is raining.

Another this that I exprienced during my child is the rats giving us money.
when I was still a child,I used to de-tooth, so my parents used to tell me that *we you de-tooth and you keep that tooth in a very dark place,rats do buy your teeth and in turn they give you money, so this me made me to it whenever I got a shaky tooth and even though my parents were the ones putting there that money but you know very well that when you are a kid you don't know anything therefore it made me to believe that it was actually the rats that were getting the money from their accounts in the banks by passing through thier underground holes directly to where I used to put my tooth.
Thus, even if they used at lying to me,it help me in turn for my teeth to be in line and in good shape.


I would like to hear from you again my fellow group members again.
I remain Obonyo Brian.

UGANDAN ART
I think Ugandan art is so amaizing it is expressed through the way we dress,through music, traditional functions, paintings and other aspects of life etc.However it is given value only when some one has passed through different levels of education and that is achieved according to ones capacity in terms of financial status which is really a challenge.there are those who stop at a diploma level, degree level and then masters.so according to me i do different kinds of art ; i do weaving it includes making of scarfs,macrame,table clothes,wall hangings and so many and we use different materials and tools. fashion design and then painting , this is in two ways abstract and realism .abstract art in painting is where you paint an art work basing on a true story but you make it abstract and i think it is interesting for people who are shy about sharing their true story for example HIV/AIDS victims they prefer telling it through abstract paintings and sculptures.There other course units that we do including layout and advertisement,3d design,marketing ,history of art where we learn about different architectures which Uganda has borrowed from outside like Gothic architecture which is mostly found in churches,paintings ,sculptures etc.I think Ugandan art is interesting because we a free to express ourselves according to the environment around us,our culture and in so doing we share a lot of things about cultures.However we face so many challenges for example lack of materials and tools to use,which limit us from expressing ourselves the way we would wish to and achieving further studies since its valued according to the levels of education due to competition around the country.

What i think about American art.
I think it is so interesting given so many kinds of media and technology used however am confused and i would really love to know about what you guys consider as your source of inspiration. As i said we base ours on culture and environment.it was nice having such a conversation a pleasure is all mine.

According to my perception Ugandan art is divided into two categories, there are Ugandans who pursue as education that is at diploma, degree level,masters with the importance of building on existing artistic practices and new techniques such as silkscreen printing. And there are those who are not even aware there are doing art since to them it's culture/tradition. Education in Uganda is very expensive and can be afforded by are few individuals.The illiterates are practicing art unknowingly since to them it's culture/tradition. These individuals take it as a result of feelings of people responding to a variety of the historical events and influences of the environment.they mostly do crafts according to the environment and necessities of the daily life.these later turn into skills and techniques that can be past down from generation to generation and they later turn into there source of income.
Generally, on the domestic and cultural level of Ugandan crafts can be identified under the following categories: gourd vessels and wood vessels for food and drinks; pottery; pipes; basketry; stools; miscellaneous household objects; clothing and adornments; skins and bark cloth; tails and aprons; belts and girdles; hair dressing; headdresses and facial ornaments; neck, arm and leg ornaments shields, spears, bows and arrows; swords, dancing weapons; hunting knives; finger knives and wrist knives; hunting gear and sound instruments.
These crafts are done differently by different nationalities.For example basketry, the large field and storage baskets used in Teso are made using wicker work with heavy materials. Wicker work baskets are also common among the Basoga, Banyoro, Bahuutu and Acholi and these are some of the tribes we have in Uganda.There is also pottery which is done by the Batooro, Basonga, Lango and Baganda.
Making musical instruments like drums, fiddles involved men. Even the use and manipulation of musical instruments such as drums and fiddles was strictly meant over men alone. Bark cloth-making and related crafts are also common mostly in Bantu regions. Traditionally, the bark cloth was purposely made to be used as burial shrouds, bedding and clothing; and carpeting the floor of the kings' palaces, especially in Buganda, Toro and Bunyoro the bark cloth was replaced by cotton and other clothing materials,Blacksmiths made cutting tools, the majority of which were the spears and arrows.Amulets, necklaces or beads, arm and leg ornaments, bracelets, rings, and headdresses were made by the Karimojong.
Since these techniques have been passed on from generation to generation people have adapted these skills and produced better work for sale,and the main idea is to preserve and create jobs for local people especially women to exploit the huge market.

I have been inspired of the Liberty statue, National Flag and the Eagle. This made me to design an impression that can relate my attachment to the United States. The historical background, love and nature of the country made wonders to me and this finally inspired me.

[Patrick created 3 images, which were sent to his group.]

Also from Patrick Nsubuga on Dec. 5, 2011:

What are the metaphors and analogies i have been hearing of since childhood?

'' Ekijja omanyi, kinyaga bitono'' During childhood i have been listening top my dad saying that word and i recorded it , many have been using it and this means when a problem is to occur and you have been aware of it, you can over come it in all the possible ways.This has helped me to overcome situations that i have been informed of forexample: Ugandan government has been sensitizing people about the security and it came up that during the Era of Alshabab terrorists, many Ugandans perished in the Rugby Ground Bombing and many lost relatives and friends.
'' Olegama nga Embuzi ebulidwa amalagala

The study concludes that metaphors can be used as a spring board for developing concepts through studio practice; based on artist's analysis of socio- cultural issues. The incorporation of metaphors into drawing to develop concepts that discuss socio-cultural issues among the people can raise the communicative levels amongst the artists, artwork and viewers for the sake of the art of drawing in Uganda.

Understanding of the Ugandan Art

Ugandan art is derived from the cultural backgrounds of our ancient grand parents and other cultures. Ugandan art was practiced through story telling(Poems),painting on walls, cultural community meetings and others.

Today many artists have used the idea of art making basing on the ancient culture and this has provided important information to the 20th century people about the cultures that occurred and this has preserved African culture. Under British colonial rule as a Protectorate, it was seen as being of less strategic importance than Kenya and this allowed the establishment of art as a school subject. By contrast, art was only taught in white-only schools in Kenya.

The following are some of the art works produced in Uganda we the Abstracts art, masks, stools, back cloth, ebony, musical instruments, textiles, walking canes among other. In Uganda there are different areas were this art is found like Makerere art gallery, the normal art gallery, the Ugandan museum, the Kasubi tombs, the Ugandan zoo, among others.

However a case in point is Uganda art and culture, in Uganda we have different cultures like the Baganda, the Banyankole, the iteso, the Lou, the Batooro, the Bakonjo among others all these different cultures produce art works according to the their culture and belief a good example is the art work produced in Buganda cannot be the same art work produced in the Ankole land. Many regions in Uganda have kingdoms including Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro and Toro.

Culture and traditions are also expressed through a wide range of arts and Crafts made from wood, clay, glass, animal skin, borns, seeds, stones, Papyrus reeds and among other local materials. These include black smith implements, beaded Jewellery, wood carvings and batiks. They can be found all over the city that around Kampala, mbarara, in village bazaars, gift shops, hotels, urban galleries and the National Theatre Craft Market.

Culture in modern day Uganda is mainly portrayed by the Bantu-speaking kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Toro, which still serve as important cultural figureheads like the king's stool, drums, back cloth, spears, wood carving, among others. According to oral tradition, these centuries-old kingdoms are offshoots of the mediaeval kingdoms of Batembuzi and Bacwezi, which lay in the vicinity of present-day Mubende and Ntusi.

Uganda's cultural diversity is also boosted in the northeast by the presence of the Karimojong, this are people from the north of Uganda they are believed to Uganda from Kenya, traditional pastoralists whose lifestyle and culture is reminiscent of the renowned Maasai, and in the northwest by a patchwork of agricultural peoples whose Nilotic languages and cultures are rooted in what is now Sudan.

Music and dancing form an inseparable part of the Ugandan culture. It plays an important role in the traditions of all Uganda's people, with Baganda favoring the kiganda dance called Bakisimba, Tamenha Ibuga of Busoga, Amakondere of Bunyoro and Ekizino of Ankole. Traditional songs are accompanied by traditional instruments such as: Drums, logs, xylophones, maracas or shakers Ensasi Musical instruments play an important role in Uganda communities. They contribute to the social, psychological, therapeutically and educational existence of people.

CULTURAL SITES IN UGANDA
Kasubi Tombs in Buganda. Heritage place and the tombs are burial grounds for Kings of the Buganda Kingdom referred to as 'Kabaka"

Mparo Tombs found in Hoima. Are burial grounds for kings in the Bunyoro Kingdom. One of the most outstanding graves for the Omukama- a title for their kings, in this place is that of the Omukama Kabarega's grave.

Bigo bya Mugenyi. It has holds numerous earthwork that was done by the Bachwezi people and other related kingdoms.

Namugongo Shrine. This Uganda martyrs' shrine is a very vital attraction in Uganda's history. It is at this place where twenty two catholic Christian converts were brutally executed following the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II in the year 1886.

Baker's Fort in Patiko. This striking stone structure is a birthright of Baker's outstanding work against slavery in this area.

Others cultural sites in Uganda we have.

Nakayima Tree found in Mubende District
Nkokonjeru Tombs located in Kakiika
Nyero Rock Paintings situated in Ngora
Naggalabi-Buddo Coronation Site located in Wakiso District
Wamala Tombs
Nnamasole Baagalayaze Tombs & cultural center

Art and craft are part of our culture. Crafts have been developed through the traditions of the people like the Baganda, the Lou, the Masai, the Banyankole, and the Batooro among others. Art and craft are a result of the feelings of the people responding to a variety of historical events and influences and the environment in a most spontaneous manner. Art is the creation of works of beauty through the application of skill resulting from knowledge and regular practice. Craft on the other hand is taken as an occupation, especially one in which skills or techniques in the use of the hands are needed. Craftsmanship in Uganda is a practice that has been passed down from generation to generation. It includes crafts like basketry, pottery, wood-curving and the like.

The commonest domestic woodcraft products include; stools, beds, mortars and pestles, bowls, ladles, trays, wooden canoes and others. Some carvings are also done as decorations taking the form of masks, omweso boards, walking sticks and others.

Traditional craft items in Uganda cultures include amulets, necklaces or beads, arm and leg ornaments, bracelets, rings, and headdresses. For example, the Karimojong headdress is made from human hair felted together with grease and clay. It is strengthened by a wire framework round the front edge. It is patterned with red, blue and yellow paint. The metal eyelets across the crown and at the back are used t hold ostrich features and other ornaments.

The local potter in the village builds his pots of whatever description and function from the base upwards the rim. The potter uses the coiling method and clay is used in making it. Thus the method of pottery making is the same for the Alur, the Batooro, the Basoga, and the Lango. The local pots have different uses like in the Baganda it was used mainly by the Kabaka and among the Banyankole and the Batooro the local pot was used to save local beer to the King.

Making musical instruments involves men that were like Engalabi, drums, pipes, obukyankya among others. Even the use and manipulation of musical instruments such as drums and fiddles was strictly meant over men alone. However, due to external influence and introduction of schools today, all sorts of people participate fully in the playing of musical instruments.

Backcloth making and related crafts are also common mostly in Bantu regions. The natalansis tree omutuba. The process involves the use of a specially made heavy, grooved mallet ensaamu. As the craftsman hits the bark with the mallet, the fibrous bark becomes thinner and larger. Traditionally, the backcloth was purposely made to be used as burial shrouds, bedding and clothing; and carpeting the floor of the kings' palaces, especially in Buganda, Toro and Bunyoro the barkcloth was replaced by cotton and other clothing materials, new items like tablemats, shoulder bags, hand bags, briefcases, purses, cushion covers and others have been made form barkcloth.

In most cultures, the making of metallic tools and other utilities by blacksmiths was also a common practice. Blacksmiths made cutting tools, the majority of which were the spears and arrow. The blacksmiths were mostly found in Ankole Kingdom they made things like spears, hoes, axes, cups, shields, arrows, bangles among others.

Raw Materials:
Most of the components and raw materials are found naturally in Uganda - local grasses and papyrus, banana fibers and palm leaves, gemstones, seeds, horn and woods, as well as skins and local leathers. Bark cloth from the Omutuba tree is particularly enchanting, and is widely used for mats, cushions and hats. Jewellery can be hand made from a broad range of materials, and provides distinctive decoration for both ladies and gentlemen.

From: mutabuza mark sent via email to post on DIIGO.
Date: Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 2:21 AM

The earliest human inhabitants in a contemporary Uganda were hunter-gathers. Remnants of these people are today to be found among the pygmies in western Uganda. Between approximately 2500 to 1500 years ago, Bantu speaking populations from Central Africa migrated and occupied most of the southern parts of the country. This culture was part of the Urewe, or early eastern Bantu cultural complex. There was at around 1000 AD the arrival of the Hamitic peoples into Southern Uganda and Rwanda,Burundi peoples known locally as the BaChwezi who brought with them ideas of animal husbandry agriculture, iron working skills and new ideas of social and political organization, and Clan systems.Then a second migration of the Nilotic peoples took place several centuries later.Those people were known as the Luo-Babiito, locally.The assimilation of the Bachwezi, Luo-Babiito and the Eastern Bantu (Urewe)led to the formation of the peoples of the following kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara,Tooro, Busoga and Ankole. Including the inhabitants of those in Rwanda and Burundi, and Kagera/Bukoba (Bahaya/ Baziba) in North-Eastern Tanzania.These very inhabitants of this admixture are normally referred to as Interlacustrine Bantu.

In 1888, control of the emerging British "sphere of interest" in East Africa was assigned by royal charter to William Mackinnon's Imperial British East Africa Company, an arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an Anglo-German agreement confirming British dominance over Kenya and Uganda. The high cost of occupying the territory caused the company to withdraw in 1893, and its administrative functions were taken over by a British commissioner. In 1894, the Kingdom of Uganda was placed under a formal British protectorate. In 1888, control of the emerging British "sphere of interest" in East Africa was assigned by royal charter to William Mackinnon's Imperial British East Africa Company, an arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an Anglo-German agreement confirming British dominance over Kenya and Uganda. The high cost of occupying the territory caused the company to withdraw in 1893, and its administrative functions were taken over by a British commissioner. In 1894, the Kingdom of Uganda was placed under a formal British protectorate.

Head of state Yoweri Museveni from 1986 Head of government Apolo Nsibambi from 1999 Political system authoritarian nationalist Political executive unlimited presidency Administrative divisions 39 districts, grouped in four geographical regions Political parties National Resistance Movement (NRM), left of centre; Democratic Party (DP), left of centre; Conservative Party (CP), right of centre; Uganda People's Congress (UPC), left of centre; Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM), left of centre.



Uganda's climate is tropical. This means it is generally rainy (particularly during the months of March to May, September to November), while the remaining months (December to February, June to August) comprise Uganda's two dry seasons.

Fertile soils and tropical rains make most of Uganda a swathe of greenery with the exception of the far north where the semi-desert conditions encourage dry acacia woodland.

Vegetation is, or was, thicker in the south where much of the indigenous forest has made way for agriculture.

The central plateau is characterised by rolling grassy hills and the wooded savannah common to much of East Africa.

In the western highlands cultivated plots have replaced much of the lower-elevation rainforest but dense forest still covers the medium-level elevations.

At higher altitudes bamboo forest gives way to Afro-alpine moorland, an area famous for gigantism among species such as groundsel, heather and lobelias.

Below are some of the wild life, vegetation of Uganda.





Uganda Equator

Tienda en la línea del ecuador (Uganda)