People often ask me why I started Huema Design.

The answer lies in both memory and vision. I was born in Kampala to a father from the Musu clan of Buganda and a mother of kiryarwanda origin. From them, I inherited more than traditions.I inherited a belief that making is an act of meaning. My father, a gifted handsman from fixing cars, could transform raw wood or steel into purposeful objects. My mother, a beautician, used her home salon to uplift people with beauty and care. In our home, creativity was never abstract. It was lived. It was survival. It was joy.

Growing up, I realized that design whether a chair, a room, or a hairstyle wasn’t just about appearance. It was about identity, memory, and dignity. What we make reflects who we are.

Later, while studying architecture and spending time at the University of Las Palmas in Spain, I experienced how other cultures weave design into daily life. Spain’s bold colors, expressive buildings, and deep connection between people and place expanded my perspective. I saw design not only as a visual expression but as a living language one that speaks to history, emotion, and imagination.

When I returned home to Uganda, I faced a challenge: how could I honor my cultural heritage while embracing global design ideas? Too often, African traditions are frozen in museums or dismissed as relics, while modern design chases trends without roots. I refused to choose between the two. I wanted to create a bridge design that carries heritage forward into the future, while also resonating with global audiences.

That is why I started Huema Design Studio.

At Huema, we believe design can solve one of the world’s quiet problems: the growing disconnect between culture and modern life. By reinterpreting traditions through contemporary design, we restore meaning to everyday spaces and objects. We create work that is not just functional, but soulful rooted in place, responsive to environment, and alive with story.

The name itself carries this mission. “Hue” speaks to color, emotion, and vibrancy. “Ma” honors material, making, and the hand of the craftsman. Together, Huema means design that is both expressive and grounded alive with culture, yet open to new possibilities.

Huema is more than a studio. It is a philosophy: a way of thinking that respects the past while shaping the future. Through our products, interiors, and installations, we help people reconnect with the deeper stories behind the spaces they inhabit and the objects they use.

Because when design holds meaning, it doesn’t just decorate life, it transforms it.