Allan Matudio

What is your full name?

Allan Matudio.

What is your first name?

Allan.

Where were you born?

Montreal, Canada.

Where do you currently reside and work?

Montreal, Canada and Manila, Philippines.

What is your educational background?

I obtained a BS in Biochemistry at Concordia University in Montreal and thereafter an MS in  Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.

What are other details of experiences, work or otherwise, that have led you to your current work?

I took art courses at a local studio in Montreal, which led me to a career in video games. My background in STEM and in video game production gave me enough foundation to pick up jewellery design much faster.

How would you describe your practice/business?

I approach jewelry as wearable storytelling. My pieces channel diasporic memory shaped by my upbringing among working-class immigrant communities, where jewellery symbolised protection and belonging. Each piece echoes the self-made attitude of punk and the transformative power of hip-hop, cultures inherited from my Montreal upbringing.

What are the highlight projects in your career so far?

The Bakunawa necklace references a mythical dragon in Filipino mythology. The giant serpent-like beast would swallow moons, causing eclipses. The pendant functions as a toggle where the head of the dragon needs to swallow the moon to close the necklace.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on a modular necklace where every link can carry a tiny object. The design is inspired by sari-sari stores found across the Philippines.


Instagram: @allanmatudio