Dmitry Shabalin explores ontological motifs of the mask phenomenon in culture. The artist imagines traveling through alternative universes filled with characters and archetypes, events and stories.

Shabalin's Cosmic Baroque strives for excess and visual abundance, although it is based on the search for harmony in simple things. The artist works in the technique of three-dimensional collage, following an intuitive inner story. In his artworks, found objects are put together in kaleidoscopic compositions and resemble treasures of unknown civilizations.

Dmitry defines his creative direction as multisymbolism: a structural narrative is built from random coincidences and associations. The mask in the artist's creative practice works as a mold of the moment and a collective image of mass culture.

The author names cosmogony and the history of civilizations, comics and pop culture, the first computer games of the 90s and the cult of superheroes as his main sources of inspiration.

Participant of the International Biennale of Decorative Arts Revelations (Paris, Grand Palais, 2017), the parallel program of the 59th Venice Biennale, and numerous exhibitions in Russia, Italy, France and China.