Artist Rwenzigye finds calling in pyrography

By William Opio

Isaac Rwenzigye always loved making toys. As a little boy in Kampala, his favorite toys were building blocks. He would turn a pile of blocks into anything he imagined. 

The satisfaction of creating something from nothing later informed his career choice. Today, Rwenzigye is a visual artist, 3D animator and a teacher. But he didn’t plan this path. He just followed what he felt was right.

Isaac Rwenzigye with one of his art pieces

Rwenzigye grew up watching children play games in his neighborhood. One game, rolling a wheel with a stick, later inspired a wooden piece of art he made by a technique called pyrography.

His parents, Michael and Prossy Katambira, gave him the liberty to choose a course he loved. For A’level, Rwenzigye studied Physics, Art and Mathematics. At university, his choice was Bachelor of Industrial Art and Design, which he pursued at Uganda Christian University (UCU), from 2021. 

Once he discovered the technique of pyrography, it became his signature style of art. Pyrography is the freehand art of decorating wood, leather or other materials with burn marks using a heated object or specialized tool. At his final classwork exhibition, he showed mostly the burned-wood drawings.

“I’m not just a sculptor,” he says. “I am a pyrographer.”

For his internship, Rwenzigye joined Crossroads Digital Multimedia in June 2023.  Crossroads Digital Multimedia was close to his home. He had never studied 3D animation before. Crossroads Digital Multimedia is a local studio in Uganda which uses animation to tell African stories. The company also trains animators through project-based learning.

That choice, he says, changed his life.

At Crossroads, he learned lighting, texturing and rendering, steps that bring 3D characters to life. Two months after his internship ended, the company called him back. This time, he was called back to teach others.  

Isaac Rwenzigye working on an art project

Now Rwenzigye trains young people in animation. Some arrive at the center like he did, without any knowledge of 3D work. And he has the duty to turn them around. In one boot camp, students designed fish characters that ended up in a short film. They were happy seeing their ideas come alive.

Once, he worked with two students who had a hearing impairment. He had to undergo a crash course on basic sign language so he could communicate with them.

Rwenzigye also teaches art at his alma mater, where he lectures Artistic, Technical and Architectural Drawing. He started teaching at UCU in January 2025.

Unlike others who sometimes worry about artificial intelligence (AI), Rwenzigye sees it differently.

“AI is a tool,” he says. “If you know design, you can use AI to do work faster and then fix it  with your own taste. Skill still matters.”

As a designer, animator and visual effects artist, Rwenzigye has plans to work on a big film that tells the Ugandan story. He also wants his art to honor people whose stories deserve to be remembered.

For now, his biggest win is finding his own voice as an artist and helping others find theirs.

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