Embedded Files
VISUAL ARTIST . SOCIAL ENTERPRENUER . CULTURAL PRACTITIONER
VISUAL ARTIST . SOCIAL ENTERPRENUER . CULTURAL PRACTITIONER
Born in Uganda in 1993, Kiggundu’s passion for art is traced back to his childhood, when he enjoyed drawing on book covers at home and helping his pre-primary school teachers sketch maps on the chalkboard. His love for art was nurtured by Mr. Magambo Diphus, his social studies teacher at Shimoni Demonstration School in Kampala whose part-time art lessons though ungraded, captivated Kiggundu. Despite struggling with imposter syndrome and introversion for most of his childhood, art provided him a way to connect with his classmates and express himself. This foundation fueled his growing passion for art throughout primary school, high school, and university. Currently Kiggundu is a practicing visual artist, cultural practitioner, muralist, and social entrepreneur who uses his skills to advance the arts, brain health, culture, and community. Through knowledge sharing, skills integration, and capacity building, he fosters inclusive communities by creatively engaging both young and adult populations. His work is driven by a desire to inspire self-discovery, productivity, and ability to harness opportunities for individual and shared growth.
Born in Uganda in 1993, Kiggundu’s passion for art is traced back to his childhood, when he enjoyed drawing on book covers at home and helping his pre-primary school teachers sketch maps on the chalkboard. His love for art was nurtured by Mr. Magambo Diphus, his social studies teacher at Shimoni Demonstration School in Kampala whose part-time art lessons though ungraded, captivated Kiggundu. Despite struggling with imposter syndrome and introversion for most of his childhood, art provided him a way to connect with his classmates and express himself. This foundation fueled his growing passion for art throughout primary school, high school, and university. Currently Kiggundu is a practicing visual artist, cultural practitioner, muralist, and social entrepreneur who uses his skills to advance the arts, brain health, culture, and community. Through knowledge sharing, skills integration, and capacity building, he fosters inclusive communities by creatively engaging both young and adult populations. His work is driven by a desire to inspire self-discovery, productivity, and ability to harness opportunities for individual and shared growth.
Kiggundu Rodney in San Francisco, California during his one year fellowship at the Global Brain Health Institute, UCSF Memory and Aging Centre.
Kiggundu holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Arts from the Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University, Kampala and with over 8 years of experience in the Arts, he currently runs an independent art space called Kiggundu Art Studio where he curates and leads art-based workshops, interventions and apprenticeship programs. These are aimed at bringing together different emerging and under represented creatives and non-creatives to experiment material, research and explore art beyond their studios. Kiggundu is also a painter and Mural artist and his ethereal paintings explore themes of Identity, Equity, Freedom of Expression, Mindfulness and social cohesion. He has exhibited his works in over 7 group shows both nationally and internationally.
Kiggundu holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Arts from the Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University, Kampala and with over 8 years of experience in the Arts, he currently runs an independent art space called Kiggundu Art Studio where he curates and leads art-based workshops, interventions and apprenticeship programs. These are aimed at bringing together different emerging and under represented creatives and non-creatives to experiment material, research and explore art beyond their studios. Kiggundu is also a painter and Mural artist and his ethereal paintings explore themes of Identity, Equity, Freedom of Expression, Mindfulness and social cohesion. He has exhibited his works in over 7 group shows both nationally and internationally.
Kiggundu is the Founder of Firesidecharts Lab, a creative lab and storytelling community that houses his studio. This platform features the Firesidecharts Podcast, which he co-hosts, and Elders Creative Circles, creative arts and social engagement huddles for seniors (60+) aimed at amplifying the message about creative aging, dementia risk reduction and brain health. As part of an expansion plan for his studio and to foster deeper social connections through creativity, he envisions establishing an Artist Retreat Centre outside the city. Designed for rest, reflection, and cross-generational knowledge sharing, this retreat will serve as a space to reconnect with our roots, rejuvenate, and highlight the significance of indigenous arts and knowledge in shaping mindsets and community development.
Kiggundu is the Founder of Firesidecharts Lab, a creative lab and storytelling community that houses his studio. This platform features the Firesidecharts Podcast, which he co-hosts, and Elders Creative Circles, creative arts and social engagement huddles for seniors (60+) aimed at amplifying the message about creative aging, dementia risk reduction and brain health. As part of an expansion plan for his studio and to foster deeper social connections through creativity, he envisions establishing an Artist Retreat Centre outside the city. Designed for rest, reflection, and cross-generational knowledge sharing, this retreat will serve as a space to reconnect with our roots, rejuvenate, and highlight the significance of indigenous arts and knowledge in shaping mindsets and community development.
Kiggundu is also a Co-founder of Streetlights Uganda a non-profit empowering street children through art in Uganda, a Young Emerging Leaders Program Class of 2019 Fellow under LeO Africa Institute, a Young Disaster Resilience Leadership (YDRL) Teaching Fellow 2017, a 2021 Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship Fellow and a 2023 Arts In Health Summer Intensive Program participant under the Centre for Arts In Medicine,University of Florida and Connecting Cultural Heritage participant under Audience Agency UK. Kiggundu currently leads the Global South Arts in Health Week Uganda Pavilion as Country Festival Director.
Kiggundu is also a Co-founder of Streetlights Uganda a non-profit empowering street children through art in Uganda, a Young Emerging Leaders Program Class of 2019 Fellow under LeO Africa Institute, a Young Disaster Resilience Leadership (YDRL) Teaching Fellow 2017, a 2021 Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship Fellow and a 2023 Arts In Health Summer Intensive Program participant under the Centre for Arts In Medicine,University of Florida and Connecting Cultural Heritage participant under Audience Agency UK. Kiggundu currently leads the Global South Arts in Health Week Uganda Pavilion as Country Festival Director.
Kiggundu has worked in areas around culture, arts, education and health as well as community engagement and has been on several leadership teams, platforms, curated various workshops and spoken on different panels shaping conversations around Arts, Health, leadership and culture. He has worked with initiatives like Reminac Studios Enterprises, Africa Leadership Institute (AFLI), Youth Consult Uganda, Vision Group among others. These spaces have honed him skills in leadership development, Research, capacity building and community engagement. In his free time, he likes to hike, travel, connect with people from different cultures and spend time in nature and the wild where he believes we as humans get most of our lessons and inspiration.
Kiggundu has worked in areas around culture, arts, education and health as well as community engagement and has been on several leadership teams, platforms, curated various workshops and spoken on different panels shaping conversations around Arts, Health, leadership and culture. He has worked with initiatives like Reminac Studios Enterprises, Africa Leadership Institute (AFLI), Youth Consult Uganda, Vision Group among others. These spaces have honed him skills in leadership development, Research, capacity building and community engagement. In his free time, he likes to hike, travel, connect with people from different cultures and spend time in nature and the wild where he believes we as humans get most of our lessons and inspiration.
He is currently doing a 12 months Residency program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health under the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), where he is training in brain health, leadership and dementia prevention. Having lost his Grandmother due to late dementia diagnosis in 2018, Kiggundu believes we can leverage indigenous arts & knowledge to improve brain health outcomes trhough raising more awareness about dementia prevalence worldwide and its related risk factors. This can help challenge stereotypes and break stigma around aging and dementia across our communities. He is Commited to fostering creativity, well-being and equity through his work, creating various platforms for expression and promoting collaborations across ages and cultures.
He is currently doing a 12 months Residency program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health under the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), where he is training in brain health, leadership and dementia prevention. Having lost his Grandmother due to late dementia diagnosis in 2018, Kiggundu believes we can leverage indigenous arts & knowledge to improve brain health outcomes trhough raising more awareness about dementia prevalence worldwide and its related risk factors. This can help challenge stereotypes and break stigma around aging and dementia across our communities. He is Commited to fostering creativity, well-being and equity through his work, creating various platforms for expression and promoting collaborations across ages and cultures.
For More Inquiries, Please Contact
+256703652348, +1 (628)2688495
Send Email to :
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse