Ernesto Shikhani, 1934–2010

Ernesto Shikhani was born in 1934 in the Muvesha region of Mozambique. Son of farmers, he worked as a shepherd until the age of sixteen.

A contemporary of Malangatana and Chissano, Shikhani began sculpting at the Núcleo de Arte, where he studied under Portuguese sculptor Lobo Fernandes. In 1963, he became assistant to Professor Silva Pinto at the Mouzinho de Albuquerque Industrial School. From 1970 onward, he also dedicated himself to painting.

In 1973, Shikhani received a scholarship from the prestigious Gulbenkian Foundation, allowing him to study and work in Europe. He returned to Mozambique in 1976, where he spent several years teaching drawing. In 1982, he received another scholarship and moved to the USSR.

Since 1968, Shikhani exhibited regularly, and his work is represented in the National Museum of Mozambique, in Culturgest’s Modern Art Collection, and in numerous important public and private collections across all five continents.

source: “Africa e Mediterraneo” Magazine (09/2002)