Shephard Madzikatire is flowering talent of the many in the 2nd generation of Zimbabwean stone sculptors. Born in 1970 Rusape eastern province of the Zimbabwe.
Shephard s influence into art can be dated back in 1970s during his primary education where he made numerous portraits, either by drawing, clay moldings or even crafts work which were very outstanding and were often displayed in offices and classrooms. He never lost his interest as he went further to his secondary education where he spend some of his time admiring some wood sculptures by Job Kekana at St Faith Mission School in Rusape thereby getting some inspirations from these works.
Shephard moved to Chitungwiza to stay with his cousin Moses Masaya(1949-1995) one of the first generation stone sculptors who contributed much to what shone sculptors enjoy now in Zimbabwe . he learnt all the skills and techniques of working with different tools also working on different types of stones, serpentines,springstone, opals which are found vastly in Zimbabwe along the Great Dyke: He also got the understanding what Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture was all about. Shepherd developed exceptionally well as evidenced by his work which shows an artist who is confident of his own creative ability and his technical mastery of his chosen medium.
His sculptures turns towards near abstract and cubistic, mostly persons faces which are stylized with sharp lines to express feelings or states of mind. He has also begun to merge his trademark planar with more curvilinear and, naturalistic forms influenced by such objects like rocks plans leaves coming up with powerful images of originality.
My subjects are often human and animal images which i often carve with relationship to African values, be it social , cultural or traditional beliefs: In most of my creation I get influenced by the shape of the stone and sometime I have to change the whole stone to suit my feelings or states of my mind“ Shephard himself commented.
Shephards sculptures have been extensively in Europe America Asia and Africa
List of some of the exhibitions:
1993 England, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Swedern; Skulptren fran Zimbabwe. Miles Garden
Zimbabwe Expo Shona Sculpture Contemporary Expression Enduaring Culture,Africca University, Mutare, Zimbabwe.
1994; Germany steina skupturen Aus Simbabwe.gallerie Bilder-lung, freudstadt
1995 Swedern, Ande-i stein Skulpturen Fran Zimbabwe,Costawener Musee
1996; The Nertherlands, exhibition of Shona Art in w.a.w.a.n.a
1997 England; Ancient Meets Modern,The Art Zimbabwe, Midsummer Art Exhibition in Milton Keynes.
Images Of Morden Africa, An exhibition of contemporary stone sculpture in Abbey Erchternach
2004 Spain, Barcelona, begues and Stiges
2005 Mozambique, Maputo exhibition in FORTALEZA:
2005Austria, Vienna: Gemcinde Kottingbrunn, Hotel Hilton Am Stadtpark and t5he Park Of Orangerie.
2006HOLAND, 3 exhibition in Zoo Amersfort, castle ZeistnearUtrecht
2006 USA Atlanta, Georgia
