Maksim Shved is one of the dedicated researchers of the cultural phenomenon of fuprematism also known as communal or subcontious art. It humorously reinterprets the urban environment, especially within the context of Soviet and post-Soviet communal aesthetics. Initially spontaneous and often anonymous, fuprematism evolved into a recognized art form that uses irony and satire to reflect communal life through the lens of absurdity and playful critique. Unlike high art, it transforms everyday surroundings into symbols of popular creativity and subtle cultural defiance. Maksim’s art often captures abstract compositions of city walls covered by communal paint, symbolizing suppressed voices.

His later works, created in exile after the 2020 political turmoil in Belarus, further explore themes of erasure and resilience, transforming censored spaces into expressions of artistic resistance. Now based in Poland, Maksim continues to document Belarusian cultural identity and trauma, with recent exhibitions and film projects gaining international recognition. Maksim is recognized by the Belarus Film Critics’ Association as the Best Film Director. In 2021 he became one of the first members of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy.

EXHIBITIONS / FILMS

- 2024: “UnSaid,” Zurich Art Weekend, Switzerland
- 2023: “HOPE,” Fotofestiwal, Poland
- 2020: Route Recalculated, WatchDocs Film Festival Audience Choice
- 2019: Pure Art, ArtDocFest Best DirectorMaxim Shved is one of the dedicated