A SCULPTOR who is making a bronze bust of the Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr Thabo Makgoba, listens while he works to online recordings of his subject’s church services, to refresh his sense of the Archbishop’s character and manner.
The work by Luke Shepherd was commissioned to mark Dr Makgoba’s forthcoming retirement. It is to be unveiled on 27 September in St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town. Mr Shepherd and his wife will attend the ceremony.
Because the sculptor is based in Holne Cross, Ashburton, near Newton Abbot, in Devon, the Archbishop has sat only twice for the portrait. But listening to Dr Makgoba’s past interviews and sermons transforms Mr Shepherd’s studio into a different world, he says.
Trained at Cardiff Art College, he was recommended to Dr Makgoba by an artist he used to mentor, Carol Bryant.
After the Cape Town ceremony, Dr Makgoba will donate the bust to his home village. “The villagers are really proud that this young boy, basically from a mud hut in the middle of nowhere, has risen and holds this position, and he wants to give something back to the village in memory,” Mr Shepherd said.
Mr Shepherd asked Dr Makgoba what mood or expression he wanted the portrait to convey. “He said, ‘I don’t want it pious: I want it to express “We made it,” because it’s for the villagers.’ He really associates with being part of that place and the people there. He’s quite nervous about having one of himself — maybe thought it might appear as being egotistical — but, for those reasons, it’s not at all.”
The first sitting was at Lambeth Palace last October. Mr Shepherd took a 3D scan of Dr Makgoba’s head, as well as measurements, photographs, and videos of him with different facial expressions.
Before the Archbishop of Canterbury’s installation (News, 25 March), which Dr Makgoba attended, there was a second sitting at Lambeth Palace, where Mr Shepherd completed the clay model.
“Ideally, I like six or seven sittings, and slowly get to know the person and let it evolve. But, because of the nature of this, because he was obviously from overseas, and is an extremely busy man, it’s the first time I’ve made use of 3D scanning. . . It made it a lot easier, because, sometimes, I have to do portraits of people who are deceased, with very limited information. It’s still possible, but the better sculpture comes when you’ve got more time with the person, or when the information is readily available. You do get to know the person better, and you get to choose what you want to put in and what you leave out.”
Luke ShepherdLuke Shepherd with the Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr Thabo Makgoba
What has he included and excluded in this sculpture? In some of Mr Shepherd’s works, the surface retains visible finger marks and a rougher quality, which Dr Makgoba appreciated. “He wanted something that was really accessible, not super-finished and glossy like something that would be in a glass case. He wanted something that was rugged, and I think that really suits his personality. He’s very genuine, and if he wasn’t wearing the clothing, you just wouldn’t know he was such an important figure.”
Mr Shepherd wanted the sculpture to appear inviting and humble. He achieved this effect by adjusting the tonal qualities of the clay, and softened the edges, which gave the work a warmer presence. He also introduced abstraction into the clothing, and used marks that converge towards the face, subtly drawing the viewer’s attention inward.
He has nearly completed the piece, but said that he needs to put it away for a few days, and then go back to look at it, and repeat this process until “it speaks to me that it’s finished.”
Within his work, Mr Shepherd involves the sitter as much as possible, “so they don’t get a big shock at the end”. If he needs to make adjustments, he does so as he goes along. “We work together as a team. I’m supplying the skills; they’re supplying the feedback. Obviously, I bring my own interpretation, but always in discussion.”
Mr Shepherd is available for commissions at: luke-shepherd.com