The Seahorse

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I’m picking back up a project that had been on hold for a while: exploring one of my favorite formats, instant photography. The theme is family. Over the past December holidays, I found myself reflecting on and remembering those family celebrations from when we were kids.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I learned to give better methodology and structure to what I want to do and how to get there. Even extrapolating this to the image-making process, it pushed me to buy a planner and invest more time in taking photos—something that in recent years had taken a back seat.

I also unlearned the way I organize my photos, and I’m currently in the process of interpreting that flood of ideas and images.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Nostalgia, family, cold weather, the smell of damp earth, ponche, gunpowder, and pulque.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Conversations with my mother about how Christmas was celebrated back in the distant eighties and nineties, and that peculiar mix between celebrating in rural areas of Mexico and celebrating in the city. An exchange of memories filled with nostalgia.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Grounding myself and starting a project with the level of formality it requires. Sometimes we take photos just to take them, but my goal for 2026 is to have more consistency and steadiness in how I present and organize my art.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Costa Chicain Puerto Vallarta is a place hidden from the tourist center, with a very homey feel and a lot of history. It’s a neighborhood seafood restaurant with a homemade flavor that has stood the test of time.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
Something similar to Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders, combined with Wong Kar-wai. Maybe it would be called All Roads Lead to the Seahorse, with music ranging from Chet Baker and Nujabesto Héctor Lavoe.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
Jorge Drexler , for the way he writes—it hugs your heart from the inside—combined with the music of Esperanza Spalding. In photography, Tony Vaccaro and the acclaimed Joe Greer are my current references. In them I look for inspiration to evolve my style; Tony’s portraits and Joe’s color work push me to keep shooting.