"Divergence" Sculpture

Dmytro Shavala (b. 1994) is a Ukrainian contemporary sculptor known for his geometric wooden reliefs and three-dimensional compositions that explore the relationships between form, color, rhythm, and spatial perception. Born in Shklo, Ukraine, he currently lives and works in Lviv.

Shavala studied artistic woodcarving at the Yosyp Stanko Art School (2009–2013) and earned his Master’s degree from the Lviv National Academy of Arts (2019). He further developed his sculptural practice through an international workshop at Fonderia Artistica Versiliese in Pietrasanta, Italy. Since 2024, he has been a lecturer at the Lviv National Academy of Arts, teaching artistic wood and sculptural composition.

His artistic practice moves between sculpture, painting, and optical art. Working primarily with wood, Shavala creates intricate geometric reliefs and sculptural objects that challenge conventional perceptions of depth, movement, and dimensionality. Through precisely constructed forms, repeated elements, contrasting textures, and carefully composed color relationships, he transforms static materials into visually dynamic structures.

His major series, including Pressure, Space Paradox, Celestial Body, Rhythms, and Noise, investigate the interaction between physical structure and visual perception. His compositions explore tension, compression, expansion, transformation, and the relationship between order and apparent chaos. Light and shadow become essential elements, continuously changing the perception of his works depending on the viewer’s position.

While rooted in the traditions of Ukrainian wood sculpture, Shavala’s artistic language embraces contemporary geometric abstraction, Op Art, and experimental approaches to material and space. He also explores freestanding sculpture, assemblage, and bronze casting.

Shavala has participated in international exhibitions in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and Ukraine. His recent exhibitions include Geometry Reimagined at Maison d’Art Gallery in Warsaw (2025), FARBFELDER at Galerie Art Engert in Eschweiler (2025), Birth at PARK3020 in Ukraine (2026), Lumière d’Azur at Flavio Dolce Galerie d’Art in Nice (2026), and Ephemer at Galerie Art Engert in Germany (2026).

In 2019, he received the Fonderia Artistica Versiliese Award at Artrooms Fair in London.