about us 

             
Here at WALKA STUDIO we create new ways to combine art, craft, fashion and contemporary design with a core concept of respect for ancestral traditions in a contemporary scene. This respect includes not only our ancestors but our environment as well. We make a great effort to minimize our footprint as much as we can by using recycled materials in our work as much as possible. Both our cultural and environmental sustainability efforts have been recognized by UNESCO with 4 prizes of Excellence of Handcraftsmanship (UNESCO, Chile 2008-2009). In this context, delicate and beautiful objects emerge with a strong South American identity. We are proud of being South American and of working to develop our culture here in Chile. We are not just “using” old traditional craft techniques, but rather, we come from a long family line of crafters and artisans ourselves (we are the 3rd generation of traditional Chilean craftsmen/women). This personal history puts us in a position to preserve time honored techniques while developing our own ways to take them into the future. We work directly with artisans with a focus on Fair Trade business practices. We have prescence in markets and exhibitions in differents countries us USA, MEXICO, AUSTRIA, CHINA, THE NETHERLANDS, AUSTRALIA, and CHILE. We are a small conscious group of people who deeply enjoy their work and representing Chilean culture all over the world.































EXHIBITIONS
2012
"Southern Charms"
Australia, New Zealand, Chile
2011
"Think Twice: New Latin American Jewelry" 
Bellevue Arts Museum
Seattle, USA
"Seed to Silver"
World Craft Council 
New Delhi, India
"Beyond Shared Language: Contemporary Art and the Latin American Experience"
Art Museum of South Texas 
Texas, USA
2010
"Think Twice: New Latin American Jewelery" NYC, USA
Museum of Art and Design MAD
"Walking the Gray Area". Mexico DF 

"Expo Shanghai 2010" Chilean Pavilion. Shanghai, China
"UNESCO Craft Award" Culture Department, Chilean Government, Valparaiso, Chile
2009
"Beyond Shared Language" Pittsburgh, USA

http://www.contemporarycraft.org/The_Store/Beyond_Shared_Language_files/BSL%20Catalogue.pdf
http://www.contemporarycraft.org/The_Store/Beyond_Shared_Language.html

"Can Materials Speak" Good Enough College, London, UK
http://www.klimt02.net/exhibitions/index.php?item_id=13822
"UNESCO Craft Award Exhibition" Culture Department, Chilean Gobernment, Valparaiso, Chile
2008
"Melbourne by Walka". Craft Victoria. L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program, Melbourne, Australia
"Walka and Kids". Several workshop for kids through South Kids of South Project Inc. and ArtPLay, Melbourne, Australia

"Toro Sagrado". Permanent exhibition at the Encounter Space. Craft Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
REDISENA. Public instalations, Santiago de Chile
Fashion Museum of Chile, espacio Garage, Santiago de Chile
Primitiva Gallery, Ona Gallery, Oh! Gallery, Foyke Gallery, La Moneda Palace Cultural Center Gallery, On going, Santiago, Puerto Varas
2008 to present
International Show of Handcraft by Universidad Católica de Chile. Once a year most important show about Chilean handcraft, including the most traditional and most innovative creators, Santiago de Chile
Selected by the Chilean Embassy in Switzerland to be one of the Chilean Design Studios at Chilean Expo at Chilean Embassy in Switzerland
"UNESCO Craft Award Exhibition" Culture Department, Chilean Gobernment, Valparaiso, Chile
2007
Sculpture to Wear Gallery. Los Angeles
Workshop "Design and innovation in the Iberoamerican Handcraft". UNESCO and DEFACTO, Barcelona, Spain
Visual Art Museum ArtShop, Santiago de Chile


AWARDS
and FUNDINGS


2010

FONDART to participate in Think Twice: New Latin American Jewelry. Culture Department, Chilean Government.
FONDART to participate in Walking in the Gray Area. Culture Department, Chilean Government
2009
"CREA National Award of Craft and Design" SERCOTEC Chilean Government. 2 collections awarded 100 best Chilean products.
"Innova CORFO". Representing the most innovative Chilean contemporary craft creators visiting Holland.
"Premio a la Excelencia Artesania UNESCO Chile 2009" | 2 awards winning "Quality Certification Award to Innovativeness, both ecological and cultural sustainability". UNESCO
2008
"Premio a la Excelencia Artesania UNESCO Chile 2008" | 2 awards winning "Quality Certification Award to Innovativeness, both ecological and cultural sustainability". UNESCO

2007
“Pro Chile Found”, Government of Chile. One of the Six Best Chilean Jewelry Designer invited to participate on the Chilean Fashion Week at Los Angeles, USA.
"Capital Semilla", Government of Chile. Grant to set Walka Studio workshop as innovative entrepreneur.
2006
"Best Hand-crafter Prize" International Show of Handcraft by Universidad Católica de Chile. This award has been granted by the most traditional Chilean Craft Association.


PUBLICATIONS




2010
"Craft and Design (A+D)". Dossier UNESCO n. 2, Chile
"CREA National Award of Craft and Design Catalogue 2010". SERCOTEC Chilean Government, Chile 2009
"LATINO: Beyond Shared Language. Contemporary Art and the Latin American Experience. Catalogue". Society for Contemporary Craft, USA
"CREA National Award of Craft and Design Catalogue". SERCOTEC Chilean Government, Chile
"UNESCO Chile Craft Award 2009 Catalogue" Culture Department, Chilean Government, Chile
2008
"UNESCO Craft Award 2008 Catalogue" Culture Department, Chilean Government.
2005 to present
Review of the International Show of Handcraft by Universidad Católica de Chile. Santiago.


LECTURES and TALKS

2010
"Walking the Gray Area", Mexico DF
2009
"National Symposium of Craft" Department of Culture, Chile, Santiago, Chile
2008
"National Symposium of Craft" Department of Culture, Chile, Santiago, Chile
"Meet your Maker" Craft Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
"What is Latin American Art" Institute of Post Colonial Studies, Melbourne, Australia


EDUCATION
CLAUDIA BETANCOURT


2010
Jorge Manilla's Workshop "Identity Dialogues". Mexico DF
2009 to present
Teaches Contemporary Jewelry at WALKA STUDIO Jewelry Workshop
Peruvian Jewelry Symposium. Cajamarca, Peru.
2008
3 month work experience with Roseanne Bartley,
Melbourne, Australia
The South Project Inc., Melbourne, Australia, Art Residence
Marianne Hosking's workshop at Craft Victoria, Melbourne, Australia1 month work experience with Vicky Mason, Melbourne, Australia
Casting workshop at CAE. Melbourne, Australia.
2006
Jum Nakao's workshop, Santiago de Chile

2002
Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile, Bachelor of Languaje


RICARDO 'NANO' PULGAR

2010
Ruud Peter's Workshop "Losing My Religion" Mexico DF
Ricardo Dominguez's Jewelry Design Workshop. Santiago, Chile
2009
Casting Workshop. Santiago, Chile
2009 to present
Teaches Contemporary Jewelry at WALKA STUDIO Jewelry Workshop
2008
The South Project Inc., Art Residence, Melbourne, Australia

2002
Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, Bachelor of Law and Minor in Philosophy


2001
Institute D'Etudes Politiques-Science PO. Interchange Program. Paris, France
 

Juan Betancourt's Horn Workshop. Algarrobo, Chile. Apprenticeship