Richard Shepherd

Richard Shepherd is a photographer and researcher whose practice explores the intersections of media, urban space, and the philosophy of images. He holds a PhD in Film Studies from Victoria University of Wellington (2023) and a Master of Fine Arts from Massey University, Wellington (2011). He currently teaches part-time as a Lecturer in Art and Design at UCOL, Whanganui. His research focuses on the convergence of the experimental ethos of the avant-garde with contemporary screen-media forms.

Richard’s creative practice investigates how images think and circulate, drawing on both media environments and the urban landscape. Through re-photographing found imagery, and by documenting the wider communication landscape, his work asks viewers to re-encounter the familiar as strange, layered, and charged with meaning.

Rooted in both documentary and conceptual traditions, his photographs invite reflection on how environments shape perception, memory, and collective experience.