Playful Fusion

Siblings Sócrates Medina (Perro y Arena) and Isa Guadalupe Medina are two of our favorite artists to feature in Shop Mingei. Each brings a distinctive vision and voice to their work. When they join forces, the combination is always playful and dynamic! We asked them to tell us more about their collaborative process.

Can you tell us about your process when you’re designing items together?

Our process is really intuitive. It comes from years of working together, both as siblings and creative collaborators. There's a deep mutual respect for each other’s individual voices, and we’re always looking for ways to complement and highlight each other's views. It usually begins with a conversation, a reference, or a spontaneous idea we throw out. From there, we build on it together, passing sketches back and forth, giving feedback, refining, and adjusting.

We plan everything from production to post-production, including how we want to present the final product, whether it's through an exhibition, a photoshoot, or something else. Ideas are constant; we’re always thinking of new projects, but only a few take a physical form. When they do, it’s something really special.

The theme for our upcoming Communiqué issue is "play." How does play factor into your work and creative process?

Play is a big part of how we approach creativity. It gives us space to explore freely, without pressure or overthinking. A lot of our ideas come from experimenting, combining our very different crafts or pulling from stories and visuals that spark something in us. Our grandmother's mythological Greek tales and her vibrant garden definitely influenced that instinct to dream and stay curious. We create out of love and passion for our individual practices; nothing is ever forced. We don’t have to work together, but we choose to, because it brings us joy. That sense of play is what makes the process so fulfilling, and it's what keeps the work feeling fun, alive, and honest.

As siblings, do you feel your work naturally references each other and the influences you have in each other’s lives?

Definitely. Growing up and constantly moving across the Tijuana-San Diego border, we’ve always shared so much—our experiences, our influences, and in a way how we see the world. That cross-cultural environment has deeply shaped our creative perspective. Even before we began collaborating formally, we turned to each other for feedback and inspiration, so our work naturally reflects that ongoing dialogue.

Our academic backgrounds (Isa in fashion and Sócrates in architecture) give us different tools and approaches, but our foundation is shared. That connection shows up in the details of our work; Isa’s hand-beaded pieces and Sócrates’s hand-painted ceramic figurines often depict the flora and fauna that coexist with us from our home’s natural environment.

We also reference each other in playful ways, like one of Perro y Arena’s coyotes wearing a multicolored cardigan sweater by Isa Guadalupe. These references are intentional and fun. We’re always weaving our practices together, keeping the collaboration fluid and meaningful.

Tell us about your latest collaborative collection.

For our new collection, “Glifos," we explored a minimalist black and white palette, drawing on Perro y Arena’s motifs inspired by ancient Greek vases. These influences came together in a bold geometric pattern that appears across a linen shirt, matching pants, and a bucket hat.

Alongside this set, we designed a second shirt featuring an abstract plant illustration in homage to the natural landscapes that continually shape our work. Both shirts are taken from Isa Guadalupe’s signature silhouette, with the pocket serving as a main design element.

Stay tuned for a special collaborative collection from Isa and Socrates, coming to Shop Mingei in mid-July!