Africa-Press – Uganda. Ugandan artists and artisans have been encouraged to leverage indigenous materials such as barkcloth to penetrate the United States market.
Speaking at a training session held Friday at the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), Kampala, US-based artist, jewellery designer, and writer Elaine Robnett Moore said Uganda’s indigenous products have unique global appeal.
“The materials here are indigenous, and the quality of workmanship is unbelievable. The barkcloth is amazing because it’s so beautiful, and it turns out to be perfect for covers like computer, iPad, and phone covers. I bought one to take to the United States, and everyone there will be jealous because it’s so beautiful,” she said.
Moore is in Uganda under the artisan training program Art on a Global Level, an initiative of the Ugandan Embassy in Washington, DC. She noted that crafts and art hold the future for Uganda’s exports if positioned for global markets.
“Sometimes what is indigenous to you is so familiar that you don’t realize there’s a market for it. Leather goods are made everywhere, but you can’t get barkcloth from any country. That uniqueness makes Ugandan products highly marketable,” she added.
Art as storytellingFor Angella Kakobyo, founder of Manzuru—a group that combines string art with natural wellness products—the key to thriving in the industry lies in creating art that tells stories.
“Many people are making artwork and crafts, but I collaborate with other artists to add value. For example, I combine string art with barkcloth and color, and it becomes unique. Not many are doing contemporary art through storytelling, and that has been my way of navigating the industry,” she said.
Kakobyo added that the training provided her with fresh insights: “I have met people with knowledge about indigenous materials like barkcloth that I can use in my work. We have to improve our art, make it more unique and rooted in Uganda, so that buyers abroad can purchase it in big quantities.”
Market challenges and solutionsCreative artist and consultant Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi noted that while Ugandan artists have always been creative, challenges remain in meeting market demands.
“Sometimes you can have the products, but producing them in large numbers becomes a challenge. Elaine has guided us on how to handle this. She will take samples to the US, test the market, and then return so we can work on large-scale production,” he said.
Uganda’s exports to the United States have expanded significantly, growing nearly 28-fold between 1996 and 2022, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). From less than US$10 million in the late 1990s, exports surged to US$62 million in 2017, and later to record highs of US$87 million in 2021 and US$89 million in 2022.
While coffee and vanilla remain top drivers, artisan crafts are seen as a new frontier for growth—capable of creating jobs, empowering communities, and positioning Uganda more competitively in the global creative economy.
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