Denys Shantar (°1997, Kherson), is a Ukrainian – Swiss artist. In 2019 he graduated with a Fine Art Bachelor’s from the Zurich University of the Arts (CH) and in 2021, he finished his Master’s degree in Costume Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (BE). He exhibited in Z33 in Hasselt (BE), Middelheim Museum Antwerp (BE), Helmhaus Zurich (CH), Texture Kortrijk (BE) and Crux Galerie Athens (GR). In 2022, he collaborated with the Museum of Modern Religious Art (MMRK) for his first solo show at the 3rd Ypres Quadrennial (BE) and in 2023 to curate the group exhibition “CROSS-ING WAY-S” in Brussels.
From September 2023 to September 2024, Shantar conducted his one-year starter research project “God save the Queers – The (not so) secret Life of Saints” at the Royal Academy. The results were presented at Cas-co Leuven (BE) finalizing his Off the Grid Residency. This presentation led to an invitation by Komplot Brussels (BE) to produce a solo show for Supermarket Art Fair 2025 in Stockholm (SE).
(portrait: Courtesy of Cas-co and Jente Waerzeggers)