Vik & Pablo from Monoblock

Vik and Pablo are the creators of Monoblock. It all began as a fun dreamy project of this lovely couple that after a few years and hard work finally their idea came true. Monoblock publishes outstanding young artists and illustrators from all over the world, using original art in amazing products as a canvas, in limited series, designed to bring imagination and happiness to everyday life.

Let’s get to know Vik and Pablo who created these amazing brand believing in creativity and the most important thing… love!

Where are you from: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Before starting a project: We talk. A lot. And then we discuss some more ideas.
Vacations are also important: the biggest ideas seems to come after a long healthy break.

First job as an illustrator: Vik: —Caídos del Mapa 4, a teenager’s novel. I was 16 years old! It belong to a pretty famous book’s series in Argentina.

First job as a designer: Pablo: —The logotype for a company that manufactures buses.

Craziest thing you’ve done during a project: Pablo: —To start it based on instinct only.
Vik: —Same here. I must admit that following my ‘guts’ without too much questioning is probably the craziest thing, yet somehow the smartest thing to do too.

Tunes while working: Pablo: —The radio. And the same grooveshark list I made 2 months ago.
Vik: —‘She & Him’ is my latest favorite. Latest playlist includes: Florence & The Machine, Priscilla Ahn, Belle & Sebastian, Rachel Yamagata, Francoise Hardy, Lila Downs and my brother-in-law project ‘Los Enviados de Thot’ for something in spanish… and Glee when I’m in a playful ‘Broadway-like’ mood.

Favorite place on earth: Vik: —We like to travel, a lot. Therefore, we have many ‘favorites’… Personally, I found the Patagonia an enchanting scenery, but New York is my city of choice.
Pablo: —The south (Patagonia).
Vik: —We have a secret spot, a chapel alongside a Lake… near San Martin de los Andes. Is magical. But I won’t reveal its name. It’s ‘our’ secret special place.

Last object you bought: Pablo: —A toner for our laser printer.
Vik: —Besides the practical stuff? The last thing we bought together was a bookcase. We love it. It’s white, and gigantic, and full of books and wooden animals now.

If you illustrate a book, what would the title be:
Vik: —I will eventually release an illustrated book, and I have the title!! But is a professional secret… I can say I’d love to illustrate a classic like ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Technology or handmade: Pablo: —Technology.
Vik: —Handmade for so many things, yet technology for others. I like technology more when I don’t feel so ‘outerspacy’, and when it really help us enjoy life instead of drawing us apart from it. That is something all ‘handmade’ will ever have, that technology has to fight for it: an ‘aura’ of pure, fresh humanity.

Favorite toy as a kid: Pablo: —Lego.
Vik: —A wooden snail and a cushion with the shape of a chicken and its little chicks. And books. Sorry, but it’s true… I played with books!!

Coffee or Tea: Pablo: —Coffee.
Vik: —Tea. Chai, preferably.

Favorite Blogs: Pablo: —Alberto Montt’s ‘Dosis Diarias’ (http://www.dosisdiarias.com/)
Vik: —A difficult question for me, I’m an erratic blog reader. I’ve tons of blogs I frequently visit, with no particular order or periodicity. To name just a good few: Oh Joy!, The Sartorialist, The 99 percent, design work life, Where the lovely things are… lately I’m discovering very nice things through Pinterest.

Candyman: Vik: —Milka’s White chocolate Oreo.
Pablo: —Coconut Havannet… or Dulce de Leche ice cream.

Heroes: Vik: —I have a lot of people I admire. If I call a facebook contact a ‘friend’, I think is only fair I call the people I admire ‘heroes’, right? (Also, is nice to do so.) The list is quite long, but it starts with my parents, my boyfriend and partner-in-crime Pablo, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Walt Disney and John Lasseter… She-ra was my ‘growing-up’ comic hero! She was a good girl.
Pablo: —He-man and Han Solo.

Words of advice: Vik: —Love is always the answer. Do what you love, to love what you do. And when you feel you want to crash an ashtray (into the wall, his head, your laptop screen), that’s when love is more needed. It’s difficult, I know. But there’s really no other way to a happier life.
Pablo: —To persevere.