The Shona people are descendants of several native peoples of the African region which includes Zimbabwe and parts of Mozambique. Sculpting in stone is an ancient tradition with the Shona people. In the mid twentieth century there was a surge of interest in Shona sculpture and it became highly sought after by art collectors and museum curators around the world. Shona sculpture is known for its elegant, contemporary lines. The sculptures often reflect a spiritual nature.



Bernard Matemera was a self-taught artist. He was a member of the Tengenenge Sculpture Community in Zimbabwe. The sculptures of Bernard Matemera are or have been exhibited in museums, galleries and other venues including but not necessarily limited to the following:
City of Frankfurt, Germany
Eron Johnson Antiques, Denver, CO
Feingarten Galleries, Los Angeles, CA
Galerie Knud Grothe, Charlottenlund, Denmark
Irving Sculpture Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Janet Fleisher Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Kresge Art Museum, East Lansing, MI
Mhiripiri Gallery, Bloomington, MN
Millesgarden Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
Musee de Jardin, Paris, France
Musee National d´Art Moderne, Paris, France
Musee National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie, Paris, France
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
National Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
Rhino Head Gallery, Hudson, WI
Royal Botanical Gardens, Surrey, England
Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO
Triennale, New Delhi, India Yorkshire
Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire, England
Zimstone Gallery, Hyattsville, MD
Zimbabwe Pavilion, Expo 92, Seville, Spain