Shad (real name — Dmitry Polkanov) is a professional photographer and body painting artist who specializes in creating eerie portraits of demons and ghosts.

While working as a doctor, Shad had a passion for photography in various genres and in 2019 decided to fully dedicate himself to art. His work quickly attracted attention and began to regularly win awards in the most significant international photography competitions, as well as taking part in exhibitions around the world.

Each photograph in the “Under the Black Sun” series features a demon that Shad has brought to life using body painting techniques, transforming his models into otherworldly creatures. He achieves that the viewer can feel the image, see the real demons in the photograph, and be imbued with their dark beauty.

Everyone lives with their own demons. People are afraid of them, avoid them… But I want to show their dark beauty. I want to show that we shouldn’t be afraid of our inner demons, we can learn to live with them and harness their power to create.