Batia Mach Shepherd
Glass Artist

BATIA MACH SHEPHERD
BIO

Batia Mach Shepherd
Most of my adult life I had a long career in High-tech and lived in few countries as part of my career, amongst them England and Scotland.
Throughout my career I was always engaged in art and created, be it Interior design, fashion design and furniture design. I designed few houses in Israel and Scotland, one of which appeared in design magazines in Britain.
Over a decade ago, circumstances led me to change my life and I started painting. This led me to sculpture and I started sculpturing in Stone and Bronze.
In 2006 I came across glass as a sculpturing medium and was captured. Captured by this material which is so hard to control and by its 4th dimension: light reflection. The ever changing presentation according to light penetration, reflection, coloring, cold and warmth has captured my heart.
The subjects I choose to sculpture derive from observing the way we interact in our lives in all aspects: Having a dialogue with our sexuality, within our family, in the modern society and between ourselves and religions.
In my work I try to emphasis these relationships.
My sculptures are mostly figurative with strong emphasis on femininity, sexuality and relationships.
Working in 3 dimensions with different materials excites me in particular and the challenge to express my ideas with the limitations of different mediums is rewarding. Working with glass and its 4th dimension is the most exciting form I can imagine working with.
Glass casting is a long process, the shortest project took 2 months where the Society sculpture took 3 years, due to it's complexity and size.
Education and courses
2003 – 2005 Painting at Niza's Studio in Kefar Saba, Israel.
2005 – 2007 Painting at Ruth Goldenberg Studio in Herzelia, Israel.
2004 – 2006 Stone sculpturing, at the centre for Stone work in Kefar Saba, Israel.
2007 Sculpture, at Rivka's studio in Ramat Hasharon, Israel
2009 Glass blowing and Casting, at G-Studio in Tel Aviv, Israel
2012 Glass Casting at The first glass school, Kamenicky Senov in the Czech Republic, under the management of Janak Frantisek.
Exhibitions
November 2005 "Encounters", Solo exhibition, Petach-Tikva, Israel
May 2009 Group exhibition, Kastra art Centre, Haifa, Israel
July 2009 "art as the mirror of our soul", Solo sculpture exhibition Migdalor Gallery, Yaffo, Israel.
October 2012 Salon d'Automne – A group exhibition from Paris, in Yaffo Port.
March 2014 - Masks, Group exhibition, Bet Yad Lebanim, Ramat Hasharon.
April 2014 - Glass Biennale, The First Station, Jerusalem.
April 2016 - 3rd Glass Biennale , Haifa, Beit Nagler.
April 2018 - 4th Glass Biennale , Haifa, Beit Nagler.