Katende
He is of Buganda ancestry and focuses much of his practice on cultural themes, particularly the totems (omuziro and akabbiro) of the 54 clans of the Buganda Kingdom. Through the Julius Katende Totem Art Foundation, he creates visual documentation of these symbols, which hold ethical, social, political, educational, and cultural significance in Buganda tradition. For example, these totems guide marriage practices, conservation, and community identity, with roots linked to Kabaka Kintu around 1200 AD.In recent years, he has innovated by tokenizing his Totem Art works as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).
This allows direct viewing and purchase via QR codes on a blockchain platform, eliminating middlemen, ensuring transparent ownership records, and enabling potential value growth for buyers. The project has attracted hundreds of purchasers online and is displayed (via QR code) in collaboration with Inema Arts Center in Kigali, Rwanda, giving it international reach. Katende views totems as a universal concept representing social, cultural, religious, or spiritual identity beyond local communities.One of his notable public works is a large-scale installation of eight flying Crested Cranes (Uganda's national bird), measuring over 15 metres tall. Created around 2015, the sculpture uses stained glass and metal for a luminous effect day and night, with protective galvanized zinc oxide and chrome poles; it was intended as a beautification piece for Kampala. His paintings and other works have appeared on platforms such as Artsy (for example, the 2021 multimedia piece rich man Cigar, linked to Inema Arts Center in Kigali). He maintains an online presence featuring reproductions of his paintings.