In the beginning God said let there be freedom and there was art leading to creativity.I am an artist by blood i dont know how i started enjoying art since my first master piece was painted in blood and that was my first exhibition when i was just out of my mothers woumb.

Background

    I am Vincent Okuja

 

            Most friends of mine love calling me Okutoon because of my artistic and dramatic characters. I was born on the morning of 25^th Sep 1982 at Larcor Hospital in Gulu District- Uganda; we then moved back to Lira our home land. I am a Ugandan by nationality and Lango by tribe.

      Am not so much aware where I spent my childhood playing hide and seek but only came to my senses when I joined primary one in 1991 in Apac district in northern Uganda.

      When I got promoted to primary two, I was sent back to the village because of my musical talent whereby I would sing and dance for money. It only came to my parents notice when one old woman was knocked down by a bicycle on a market day when she was overshadowed by our performance. This behavior was a taboo and therefore repugnant in our culture for the young.

       Art is not something I was taught it is in blood and inherited from my ancestors. Art is the collaboration between God and the artist and the less the artist does, the better therefore God was also responsible for these skills. To realize that I was not too Picasso was when one disabled boy drew a masterpiece of men in War. That was in primary three and I thought I was nothing but a dreamy artist, this made me build a competitive mind and soon I realized my skills. I sold about five artworks that year.

       One day, my Mother got one of my paintings and used as a toiled tissue and that was her fast and last. Why? Because I used local materials like –Red pepper-for painting and leaves.

   Projects Done   

       I love working and socializing with people and sharing ideas with other people throughout the world. I am interested in making the depressed smile through Art therapy. I

 work part time with Let Art Talk (LAT) an art project based in Uganda; its aim is to empower the community through art. We specially deal with children and elderly of the war

affected zones and those affected by AIDS. I am working as a communication specialist

and a trainee.

       I am also volunteering with Art for community Development (AFOCOD) based in Kitgum and managed by former students of Industrial and fine arts Makerere University.

This project is not in its full potential due to lack of funds to carryout the workshops with

the children. It aim is healing the mind through art.

        My Art is not limited I keep on changing with the environment but my major at the

University was Illustration. I attended Makerere University in Kampala for three years from Sep 2004- Jun 2007 for a degree course in Industrial and Fine Arts. I also took Graphics Design, Design communication (web Development), Print making and design. Am familiar with most of the computer aided design programs like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe

    Indesign, Page maker, Macromedia flash, Anime8, 3D max, Ulead 3D, Xzara 3D, PowerPoint. I also know some video editing and documentation programs like; Ulead Video studio, Pinnacle studio, Movie Gear, windows movie maker and. Music editors like FL Studios, Cool Edit, Adobe audition.

    UGATRA---------------------Uganda Austrian Transfer Art project which is a transcultural project between students from Makerere university Kampala and the University of Applied Arts Vienna in Austria.Offering art education and art related 

   issues like therapy and empowering the children in schools.My position:--      

Chairman/coordinator Uganda

     

Linguistic proficiency

                                                                     

I speak English and used it during all my educational instructions.

• Acholi
• Langi
• Kiswahili
• Kuman
• Luganda
• Little Lugisu and Lusoga.
• Japadhola .