UGANDAN ARTIST BRINGS ZOO WALLS TO LIFE
Ugandan artist, Philip Katabulawo, travelled 6,000 miles to bring his artistic touch to the newly opened Heart of Africa here at the zoo.
Philip mainly works at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre as an outreach officer but he is also a talented artist, having created many amazing murals closer to home. Our Senior Interpretation Manager at Chester Zoo, Caroline Heap, first spotted Philip’s work during a zoo conservation visit to Uganda and was blown away by his talent and vision.

I thought – we have to celebrate Philip’s work in Heart of Africa. Luckily, Philip was very enthusiastic about taking part. We feel incredibly privileged to showcase his artistic talents here and we hope they will bring a great deal of joy to all of our visitors.
Caroline Heap, Senior Interpretation Manager, Chester Zoo
The artwork includes some of Heart of Africa’s smallest inhabitants, including a naked mole rat, a dung beetle, a spiny tailed lizard, a locust, and a frog.
I think the frog is my favourite right now, but I’ve had people fall in love with the naked mole rat. But I saved the spiny tailed lizard for last, as I think I’ll enjoy painting that one the most. It’s been a wonderful time, working at the zoo. I hope people see the paintings at Chester Zoo and are inspired to go inside the Hidden Savannah and find out more.
Philip Katabulawo, Mural Artist




