Ilya Shalashov was born in Izhevsk and lives and works in Saint Petersburg. He is a graduate of the Stieglitz Academy, where he specialized in Artistic Metalworking. He works across various media and disciplines: sculpture, graphics, art objects, installation, and public art.
In his practice, Shalashov investigates the internal mechanisms of physical phenomena and the "memory" of metal — from its ore state to the moment of deformation. Working with heated metal generates internal tension that is preserved after cooling and becomes an essential quality of the resulting form. His inspiration comes from natural objects in states of weightlessness and transformation, as well as from a search for primary, archetypal forms dictated by nature and material itself.
Ilya Shalashov's works have been exhibited at the S. M. Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure (Saint Petersburg, 2018), Sevkabel Port (Saint Petersburg, 2021), B12 Gallery (Saint Petersburg, 2021–2023), a branch of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture (Saint Petersburg, 2023–2024), Sobo Gallery (Saint Petersburg, 2025), Supermetall space (Moscow, 2025), and Space Four Gallery (Moscow, 2025). The artist has also participated in a number of art fairs, including Cosmoscow (2021), Blazar Art (2020), and 1703 (2024) as part of the Space Four gallery booth.