The last of the thirties

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
At my studio, we’re currently designing several books and a couple of websites. The projects that excite me the most are a book celebrating the 90th anniversary of Mexican Art Gallery; MADRE, a book featuring photographs by Luna Antonia Arboleda; our 2026 planner (we create a different one every year); the Today's Hand calendar (a project we do with Studio Studio); the website for Santi Marín and a monograph by artist Jimena García about the Tepozán tree. Alongside commissioned work, I’m also trying to return to the habit of making collages for a personal book project.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I constantly remind myself that I need to trust my intuition, and I try to apply that principle to all my decisions.

While working on the collages, I remembered how nourishing it is to let go and simply make.

With the planners, we’re trying to innovate by binding the cover not with fabric, but with recycled plastic. The process of collecting the plastic has been very intense, especially witnessing how much waste we generate without really noticing.

I was also reminded of how important it is to attend talks and exhibitions, even when you’re overwhelmed with work. It’s essential for both the mind and the heart.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Lately, I’ve been very aware of the dualities present in creative processes; they almost always carry both a luminous and a shadowy side at the same time:
happiness – sadness
confidence – doubt
bravery – fear
pride – shame
surprise – lethargy
achievement – frustration

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
We went to a Natalia Lafourcade concert, and I was struck by the song The Witch (Cancionera version). I had heard it before, but this time it truly caught me.

I also learned that Inside and Out is a cover of a Bee Gees song.

Songs kept crossing my path over and over: baglaens by Lowly, Someday by Virgil Howe, and malibU by rusowsky.

It was my birthday, and I was gifted two books that I’m really enjoying: Invocación de las piedras by Maria Naidich and Thinking through Soil by Montserrat Bonvehí Rosich and Seth Denizen

With the collective Chinampa Venetaa, of which I am a member, we presented our project at What Design Can Do. I attended all the talks that day, but the one that surprised me the most was Edel Rodríguez’s,it inspired me through his story, his courage, and his authenticity.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
I’m struggling with the frustration of not having enough time. I like to do things slowly and to experiment with multiple options, but the world moves at a different pace. The pressure to achieve many things in very little time exhausts me. Being pushed by others exhausts me even more.
On top of that, our team is growing, and I’m increasingly facing the need to take on a coordinating role. I have to be very intentional about creating personal space to sit down, experiment, and fully immerse myself in designing.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
I don’t think I have a single favorite, but here’s a top three:

1. Kura, spicy tuna roll.
2. La Vinería (it reminds me of my father): I love ordering lots of side dishes and making that the meal.
3. Hidden Comal, the hibiscus quesadillas.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
The last of the thirties, soundtrack by the Bee Gees.

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.
Natalia Lafourcade and her entire team are a huge inspiration. We’ve worked together on several projects, and it’s always a joy and a pleasure to learn from all of them. I love their spiritual connection and the freedom with which they work.

Peter & Jane. I love the way they approach problems from unexpected angles. Their ideas always surprise me.

Ivan Martinez. I really admire the books he designs and all the details he considers before making them.

Women of the Earth. They are a collective of Popoloca and Nahua women. I’m deeply inspired by their connection to the Earth and the way they share their knowledge.

Gonzalo Garcia. He is a painter; I love his technique and the way he addresses themes such as vulnerability, masculinity, and the ambiguity between the figurative and the abstract.