About the Artist | Zharko Basheski

Zharko Basheski

Zharko Basheski, born in Prilep in 1957, is a Macedonian sculptor and professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje, Department of Sculpture, in 1988. He completed his postgraduate studies at the same Faculty in 1998. From 2000 until his retirement, he worked as a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje, holding the academic rank of Full Professor. In 2025 he was elected a corresponding member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU).

His artistic practice is centred on the human condition, from which his interest in a hyperrealistic approach to shaping the concepts of his works also derives. In their theoretical dimension, however, these works transcend hyperrealism, addressing life and the world in which we live.

Several elements in his works are innovative within the field of sculpture and distinguish his more recent practice: the concepts and contemporary perspectives on the human condition and position arising from self-observation, technical production and the use of new materials (polyester resin, polymer marble, silicone, natural fibres), the hyperrealistic approach to modelling, the dimensions of the works, and the philosophical approach. When brought together, these qualities allow for multiple layers of interpretation.

The Artisanal Process

From 2010 to 2019, he was a member of the National Board for Accreditation and Evaluation, the Senate of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, the InterUniversity Conference, and the University’s Committee for International Cooperation. In 2009, he was a member of the International Advisory Committee for the realization of a monument at a foundry in Vicenza, Italy. From 1999 to 2009, he served as Head of the Department of Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts, a position to which he was re-elected for the period from 2016 to 2020. In 2007, he served as coordinator for sculpture within the second cycle of studies. He is a Corresponding Member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MASA).

His works have been presented at numerous international exhibitions. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions. A significant number of his works are held in private collections in North Macedonia and abroad.

Exhibition Chronology

2026 – Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Serbia

2025 – MANU, Skopje, North Macedonia

2024 – „The Human Form “, Novi Sad, Serbia

2024 – ECCE HOMO MACEDONICUS, Ohrid, North Macedonia

2022 – Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, North Macedonia

2021 – “Reflection”, National Gallery of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo

2019 – “Fragments”, NI Cultural Centre “Marko Cepenkov”, Prilep, North Macedonia

2018 – “Asphyxia”, BAZIS, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2018 – „Out of…“, Museum of the City of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia

2018 – KIBLA Multimedia Centre, Maribor, Slovenia; Delavski Dom Trbovlje

2017 – “Activation of Receptors”, KIBLA Museum, Maribor, Slovenia

2016 – “Ordinary Man”, National Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

2015 – “Adam and Eve” – Eternal Recurrence, Ellen NUGARO Gallery, Paris, France

2014 – “Behind the Gaze”, Miodrag Dado Gjurikj Gallery, Cetinje, Montenegro

2014 – “Transformation”, Paris-Moscow Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

2013 – Bunsen Goetz Gallery, Nuremberg, Germany

2012 – “Behind the Gaze”, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France

2011 – “Leap”, VENICE BIENNALE, Venice, Italy

2010 – Grigor Prlichev Cultural Centre, Ohrid, Macedonia

2010 – NI Cultural Centre “Marko Cepenkov”, Prilep, Macedonia

2004 – “Sculptures”, Museum of the City of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia

1998 – “Sculptural Temple – Skopje”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje

1997 – Art Gallery, Daut Pasha Hamam, Skopje, Macedonia

1994 – Cultural Information Centre, Skopje, Macedonia

1993 – Art Gallery, Bitola, Macedonia

1984 – Art Gallery, “Marko Cepenkov”, Prilep, Macedonia

Group Exhibitions

2026 – CANU, Podgorica, Montenegro

2026 – Quebec, Canada

2025 – “45 Years of the Faculty of Fine Arts”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje

2025 – “Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan”, Osaka, Japan

2024 – “50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, Tampere Art Museum, Tampere, Finland

2023 – Palazzo Bonaparte – Generali Valore Cultura, Rome, Italy

2021 – “Corpus Domini”, Milan, Italy

2021 – “Hyperrealism. Sculpture. Ceci n’est pas un corps”, Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium

2019 – “Ceci n’est pas un corps”, La Boverie Museum, Liège, Belgium

2019 – “Reshaped Reality – 50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

2018 – “Contemporary Sculpture”, Youth Cultural Centre, Skopje, Macedonia

2018 – “Almost Alive”, Kunsthalle, Tübingen, Germany

2018 – “Almost Alive”, Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan

2018 – “Art Capital”, Szentendre, Hungary

2018 – “50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, Kunsthal, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

2017 – “50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia

2017 – “Art Capital” – part of MIG 21, Szentendre, Hungary

2017 – “MIG 21”, Ferenczy Museum Center, Budapest, Hungary

2017 – Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

2017 – “Femine/II”, Cultural Information Centre, Skopje, Macedonia

2017 – “GOSH! IS IT ALIVE?”, ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark

2016 – “50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Monterrey, Mexico

2016 – “50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture”, Museum of Fine Arts, Bilbao, Spain

2015 – “Brave New World”, DOX, Prague, Czech Republic

2015 – “My Heart Is a Tiger”, Riga, Latvia

2014 – “Paris, I Love You”, National Gallery of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

2012 – “Malta Arts Festival 2012”, Malta

2011 – 35 Years of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

2008 – “Refresh Yourself”, Macedonia Square; Museum of the City of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia

2008 – Presentation of Macedonian Culture, Bari, Italy

2005 – MC Gallery, New York, USA

2004 – Exhibition from the Collection of the Skopje City Assembly, Skopje, Macedonia

2003 – Annual Exhibition of the Association of Artists of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

2003 – “Portrait”, Association of Artists of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

1998 – Winter Salon, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1997 – Winter Salon, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1996 – HARFA Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1996 – “Installation”, Chifte Hamam, Skopje, Macedonia

1995 – Army House, Skopje, Macedonia

1995 – IV International Biennial of Miniature Art, Gornji Milanovac, FR Yugoslavia

1995 – Winter Salon, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1995 – Istanbul, Turkey

1994 – Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA

1994 – Exhibition of the Prilep Art Colony, Cultural Information Centre, Skopje, Macedonia

1994 – Winter Salon, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1993 – “Drawings”, Annual Exhibition of the Association of Artists of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

1992 – Exhibition of 14 Professors from the Faculty of Fine Arts, ANIMA Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1992 – “Drawings”, Weatherspoon Gallery, Tempe, Arizona, USA

1992 – “Small-Scale Sculpture”, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1992 – Drawings – Biennial, “Kliment Ohridski” National Library, Skopje, Macedonia

1992 – Winter Salon, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1991 – “Small-Scale Sculpture”, Art Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1990 – 10 Years since the Founding of the Faculty of Fine Arts, ANIMA Gallery, Skopje, Macedonia

1989 – II Youth Biennial, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, Macedonia

1988 – Annual Exhibition of the Association of Artists of Macedonia, Macedonia

1988 – Skopje – Graduates of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Skopje, Macedonia

1984 – Annual Exhibition of the Association of Artists of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia

1984 – “Happening”, Youth Centre, Skopje, Macedonia

Monuments

2015 – Metodija Shatorov Sharlo (bronze), 3 m – Prilep

2016 – Kuzman Josifoski Pitu (bronze), 5 m – Skopje

2017 – Petre Prlichkov (bronze), 2.70 m – Skopje

2018 – Meri Boshkova (bronze), 2.80 m – Skopje

2019 – Todorche Nikolovski (bronze), 2.80 m – Skopje

2020 – Kuzman Josifoski Pitu (bronze), 3 m – Prilep

2021 – Gjorche Petrov (bronze), 3 m – Prilep

2022 – Three Muses, Colonnade (bronze), 2.20 m – Centre, Skopje

2023 – Ss. Cyril and Methodius (bronze), 5 m – Skopje

2024 – Alexander the Great (bronze), 2.80 m – Prilep

2025 – Itar Pejo, sculpture (bronze), 1.70 m – Prilep

2018 – Public Installation 'The Human Shape', Venice, Italy

2015 – Eternal Flame Monument, Prilep, North Macedonia

2012 – Bronze Monument to National Unity, Skopje, Macedonia

2009 – Large-scale Public Sculpture at Vicenza, Italy

2001 – War Memorial Monument, Bitola, Macedonia

Equestrian Sculptures

2014 – Gen. Mihajlo Apostolski, equestrian sculpture (bronze), 5 m – Skopje

2008 – Equestrian monuments to Goce Delchev and Dame Gruev (bronze), 5 m – Skopje

Sculptures in Public Space

2004 – Broken Wing, Centre (bronze), 1.40 × 5.00 m – Skopje

1998 – Phoenix, 6 m – Skopje

1996 – Temple (mixed media), 3.70 m – Skopje

Awards

2024 – Lifetime Achievement Award, Prilep, North Macedonia

2016 – “St. Clement of Ohrid” Lifetime Achievement Award, Skopje, North Macedonia

2015 – First Prize for “Metodija Shatorov-Sharlo”

2014 – Association of Artists of Macedonia “GRAN PRIX”, Winter Salon, Skopje

2012 – First Prize in the City of Skopje Public Competition for “Kuzman Josifoski-Pitu”

2011 – First Prize from the Macedonian National Theatre for the sculptures of Petre Prlichko, Meri Boshkova, and Todorche Nikolovski

2011 – “3 November 2011” Award of Merit from the City of Prilep

2011 – First Prize in the City of Prilep Public Competition for the work dedicated to “Kuzman Josifoski-Pitu”

2011 – First Prize in the City of Prilep Public Competition for “Gjorche Petrov”

2010 – First Prize for “Three Muses”, Colonnade, Centre, Skopje

2008 – Second Interpretative Prize in the competition for the Monument to Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje

2008 – Third Prize in the International Competition for the Equestrian Monument to Philip II, Skopje

2008 – First Interpretative Prize in the International Competition for the equestrian sculptures of Goce Delchev and Dame Gruev, Macedonia Square, Skopje

2008 – Third Prize for the Fountain with a Sculpture of Philip II, Skopje

2007 – Third Prize in the International Competition for the Equestrian Sculpture and Fountain of Alexander the Great, Skopje

2004 – Annual Award of the Association of Artists of Macedonia “Nerezi Masters”, Museum of the City of Skopje

1998 – Annual Award of the Association of Artists of Macedonia “Nerezi Masters”, Art Gallery, Skopje

1993 – Annual Award of the Association of Artists of Macedonia for “Small-Scale Sculpture”, Art Gallery, Skopje

Committees

2024 – 2025 – Member of the Commission for the Conferment of the Highest State Awards at the Office of the President of the Republic of Macedonia

2016 – 2020 – Coordinator for the field of Sculpture, Second Cycle Studies

2012 – 2016 – Inter-University Conference

2012 – 2016 – Committee for International Cooperation at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

2010 – 2018 – Head of the Department of Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts

Memberships

2026 – Corresponding Member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU)

2011–2019 – Member of the Senate of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

2011–2019 – Member of the National Board for Accreditation and Evaluation at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

2012 – Member of the International Advisory Committee for the realization of a monument at a foundry in Vicenza, Italy

1988 – Member of the Association of Artists of Macedonia

Artist Residencies

1981 – Artist Residency in London

2005 – Artist Residency in New York

2008 – Artist Residency in New York

2011 – Artist Residency and Working Stay in Florence, Vicenza and Verona, Italy