About

"Shalak Attack" is a Canadian-Chilean visual artist dedicated to painting, muralism, spray paint urban art, and canvas art. For over a decade, she has manifested her artistic expression on walls across the world. Shalak has participated in numerous artistic projects and exhibitions in Canada, Chile, Brazil, UK, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Senegal, Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic. She is a co-founder and co-director of the international art collectives “Clandestinos”, the “Bruxas”, and the “Essencia Art Collective”.

In Shalak's artistic practice, she fuses the spirit of South American muralism with contemporary street art. Shalak's distinctive multi-layered and signature use of colour are emblematic of her unique style that inhabits the realm of psychedelic magical realism. Specializing on her acclaimed series of evocative animal and human portraits, she creates visual narratives that strive to honour the sacred power of Nature. Frequently Shalak will juxtapose her Spirit Animals with environmentally devastated habitats to call attention to the critical mistreatment of our natural resources, Pachamama. The Spirit Animals she paints are most often endangered animals, and their bold presence is a conscious reminder that their existence is at risk because of our ego-driven-addicted-busy-daze-of-never-ending-urban-life-consumption.

Her murals have contributed culture, life, consciousness and personality to public and otherwise forgotten spaces. Shalak shares her passion for freedom of expression, and has facilitated visual art workshops to at risk youth, women and community empowerment groups, as well as prisoners in various countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and in Africa. Her artistic work and community art-reach is rooted in the social and cultural values she received from her family who immigrated to Canada as part of the Chilean political diaspora caused by the country's military dictatorship in the 1970's.

Shalak graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts with honours, and studied one year of Fine Arts in the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca, Mexico. She received a certificate for Business Coaching for Women Artists from the Centre d'Entrepreneriat Féminin du Québec, as well as a College certificate (A.E.C.) in Community Website Productions from College Ahuntsic, (Montréal, QC). In 2005-2006 Shalak participated in an internship program with Alternatives (Montréal) and Afro Reggae (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), an NGO that uses art as a tool to engage youth as an alternative to the high risk of violence and drug trafficking of the favelas. Shalak considers her most impacting education to have come directly from the diverse communities she has had the opportunity to collaborate with around the world.

Currently, Shalak is based out of Toronto, Canada with her husband and artistic collaborator, “Bruno Smoky”, where she continues to develop her artistic projects internationally as a visual artist.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"For me, spraypaint is my voice, and I choose to define my femininity as intelligence, as inner beauty and creativity, as powerful and stubborn strength that will not give up. "

-Shalak Attack, from an interview with Street Art Bio (read more here...)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Uma forte fonte de inspiração são os grandes espíritos que vem se manifestando em forma de animal, eles são os guardiões da natureza, e muitas vezes eles vêm com convicção para nos lembrar que não estamos cuidando bem da terra e que nosso jeito de viver é insustentável."

- Shalak Attack, de uma entrevista com Mistura Urbana. (ler mais aqui...)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Los ColOreS GueRreirAs-CalLejerAs coRreN pOr su sAnGre y gRitAn rAicEs eN cAda PaSo qUe vA toManDo pOr eSta sAgraDa tiErRa... Los MurOs nOs piDen eScuChaR... y CreAr Y crEar y cReAr....

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For further information or estimates for projects Please Contact:

shalakattack@gmail.com