One of a handful of female mural artists in the country, Shalak Attack isnāt shy about her work. The Chilean-Canadian muralist uses bright, bold colours, incorporating nature and faces from a variety of cultures. āSome people will identify with [these murals] and will feel visually represented,ā she says.


Shalak Attackās parents immigrated to Canada in the late 1970s, when Chile was ruled by a harsh military dictatorship. āTheir views and beliefs of equality, justice and democracy were being trampled in Chile,ā she says.
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She studied art at Concordia University, but after travelling around South America ā specifically Brazil, where street art is celebrated ā she started experimenting with muralism. āItās a more democratic way of using art,ā she says, ābecause itās for everybody.ā


She now lives in Toronto with her husband, Bruno Smoky, who is also a street artist. Her favourite thing about painting urban murals is the spontaneity and freedom. āPeople are watching, and that energy is so fresh. In the studio, you have more of a controlled laboratory. But in the streets, itās more of a performance. It just makes you want to do the best and have fun.ā
Amy van den BergĀ is a writer based in northern Ontario.Ā
This article first appeared inĀ Broadviewās September 2021 issue with the title āThe lens.ā