Born in Kavadarci, Republic of Macedonia. Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Belgrade, 1964. Attended postgraduate studies in painting and graphics at the Slade School of Fine Arts, London University College, London, 1971/72. From 1970 to 1981 teaches at the Architecture Faculty, Skopje, and from 1981 up to now he is employed as a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Skopje, Kiril and Metodij University (from 1993 to 1995 he was a dean at the Faculty). At his Faculty he teaches: paintings, drawings and handmade paper (nagashizuki and tamezuki).
Invited from the North Carolina University, Greensboro, USA, 1991/92, he teaches the course “Experimental papermaking” (granted a Fulbright scholarship). As a visiting professor he had lectures at: The Art Institute, Chicago; The Universities in: Boston, Iowa, Tempe, Santa Clara (USA), Musashino University, Tokyo (Japan), Veliko Turnovo (Bulgaria).
Beside the paintings he is practicing graphics, mosaic, sculpture, fine art interventions, installations, and the medium hand made paper. From 1993 to 1998 Šemov works on a science-research project- Hand made paper, type of cellulose fibers of the plant origin, from Macedonia, sponsored and financed by the Ministry of Science of the R. of Macedonia. Beside the Faculty of Fine Arts, from Skopje, participants in the Project are: Cardboard Factory “Komuna”-Skopje, Paper Factory “Hartija”-Ko?ani, Nature Science Museum, National University Library “Kliment Ohridski”, State Archive of Macedonia-all from Skopje.
From 2000 to 2003 year he is engaged as an author and coordinator of the Projects in the frame of the Programs: UNESCO (a science-research project) and TEMPUS (university project). The last one – Medium Cellulose, (beside participations from many Macedonian institutions) is realized in cooperation with Germany (Academy of Fine Arts – Nürnberg), and Italy (International School of Graphic – Venice).
He is a president of NGO “Medcel” – professionals hand made paper artists, designers and paper makers, (mainly his ex students from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture Faculty from Skopje University, Republic of Macedonia).
Selected one-man shows in: Skopje, Belgrade, London, Edinburgh, Bradford, New York, Nürnberg.
Group exhibitions: as a representative of his country he was taking part in many important fine art manifestations in the major world wide art centers.
He received many national and international prices for his fine art practice.
Study trips: USA, Russia, Ukraine, Czech and Slovakia Republcs, Poland, France, Austria, Great Brittany, Holland, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Japan.
